MEM3 - Pennsylvania Grey


Michael Cabe - Piano
Mark Lau - Bass
Ernesto Cervini - Drums

Track Listing
1. Skydrol
2. Tragic Interruption
3. Pennsylvania Grey
4. The Voice
5. Pending
6. Cerebrau
7. Silence The Melting Light
8. Thankfulness
9. Mashishi
10. Abide With Me

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“Pennsylvania Grey” is the culmination of 4 years of close musical and personal friendship between three musicians from three different parts of the globe. The trio consists of Michael Cabe on piano from Seattle, Washington, Mark Lau on bass from Sydney, Australia and Ernesto Cervini on drums from Toronto, Canada. This debut album is made up of original compositions from all three musicians as well as one traditional hymn. The group’s sound is influenced by the trio sounds of the great Oscar Peterson, Peter Erskine and EST.

These three musicians have already had successful careers in their own right, performing at jazz festivals such as the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, the Pori Jazz Festival in Finland and others in Canada, the United States, Australia, and Hong Kong. They have also performed in many of the great jazz venues in the world as well as many of the best in New York city, as Birdland, Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The 55 Bar and Sweet Rhythm.

Press

Contemporary mainstream jazz polished to a high sheen
Not only do the performances show off each player’s skills, but (also) simpatico interaction
The tough, double-stopping bass thumps plus the drummer’s inventiveness prod the pianist into exploring unexpected improvisational avenues

Throughout the CD, the sense of common purpose is strong.
Each song has been carefully crafted, with Cabe and Lau shining as melodic improvisers.
Best of the batch is the title track, a 12-minute journey that patiently unfurls and reaches urgent heights.

An album that accurately displays each of their talents without any one dominating over the other.
An optimistic end to a brilliant release.
Although there are various influences, Pennsylvania Grey is still unapologetically comtemporary in its approach. This is a great example of what can happen when three heads are truly used instead of one.

Each member of MEM3 is equally important—equally influential. Each is presented as a composer and a performer; a soloist and an accompanist; a leader and a supporter. Each role is handled with delicacy and intensity; taste, style and a sense of exploration. It is the contrasts between the contributions of each of the members of MEM3, as well as the homogenous nature of all that contrast, that makes Pennsylvania Grey such an engaging CD.

Pennsylvania Grey contains nine intriguing original compositions, along with a swinging redition of the traditional "Abide With Me"...Dynamic chemistry...An expansive palette of sounds, from modal to melancholy...Cervini's nimble cymbal and brushwork... A Cabe showcase, appealing to fans of the mid to latte '60s posbop of Mccoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock and here Cabe more than deserves such weighty comparisons...these musicinas are clearly inspired and willing to investigate all aspects of the piano jazz spectrum

MEM3's Pennsylvania Grey is exceptionally intelligent music, without being dryly intellectual. Deliciously textured and complex as the trio functions as a unit throughout. The interplay among the three instruments and between the composed and improvised music is seamless. The music is rich, luminous, and arresting. Ernesto's orchestral, melodic approach to the kit keeps things fluid. Mark's tone on the bass is beautiful and full, and Michael's sound is harmonically innovative and compelling. This is great stuff!
Don Seybold - Radio Host of Inside Jazz on WBAA fm

MEM3 embraces traditional jazz and marries it to a modern aesthetic found in bands like The Bad Plus, Ben Allison, and JFJO. MEM3 has a more free-form improvised structure than many current jazz groups, but displays a fresh sound that draws as much from rock and pop production as from classic jazz production techniques. Overall, this release is very enjoyable.
Lester French - Radio Host of Streams of Consciousness on WMEB 91.9 fm

An absolutely wonderful disc!...Another new album we admire...