Todd Zimberg; An Afternoon In Sellwood

This is definitely the mystery album of the bunch. The title refers to a very charming area of Portland, Oregon called Sellwood. Being a native Portlander, I have to admit to not being familiar with any of the players in this very cool, no trickery trio. Additionally mysterious is a reference to a label out of Vashon, Washington. So who are these guys and are they based in Portland or suburban Seattle? The answer came from my son Marc, an alto sax player and Seattle resident. It turns out that he and the pianist on the date, Michael Gotz (rhymes with ‘lots’) are longtime friends. So we can assume that this is a Seattle based trio. But back to the CD itself. The five tunes are all winners: “There Is No Greater Love”, “On Green Dolphin Street”, “Alone Together”, “Nica’s Dream” and “Stella By Starlight”. The trio, with Zimberg on drums and Perry Thoorsell on bass, is right on target throughout. Obviously, five tunes are not enough. We need to hear more from these guys. Their grasp on the tradition is easily heard and much to be admired.

Spring Beach Music; 2021; times not indicated.