Jazz trio featuring two St. Olaf professors releases new album
The debut album by a musical trio that includes St. Olaf College Artist in Residence Dave Hagedorn and Instructor in Music Phil Hey “will delight the jazz cognoscenti,” notes a story in the Star Tribune.
But, the paper adds, the self-titled album by the Good Vibes Trio, which also includes Chris Bates, has a reach far beyond jazz aficionados.
“There is something inherently charming and accessible about the shifting, sifting trade-off of lead and supportive roles among the trio, which turns a potential weakness — three essentially percussive instruments without the harmonic versatility of a horn or piano — into a signature virtue,” states the Star Tribune.
The album features 11 songs — a mix of original pieces by each member, along with fresh takes on tracks by well-known artists such as Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, and Freddie Hubbard.
Bates also talks about the trio’s new album on Minnesota Public Radio’s State of the Arts blog.