Made the early set for these Firehouse regulars. Melford on piano, Michael Formanek on standup bass, and Ches Smith on drums and vibraphone. The trio setting allows the listener to focus on each player. Melford is right at home sitting at the Firehouse piano. We’ve established the size of the piano is that of a shipping container, full sound when played. Formanek has backed many groups, from Mary Halvorsen to Vijay Iyer, he seemed older with thicker glasses than I remember. I’m running out of descriptions for Smith, so I’ll stick with the most recent. The lanky drummer looks like a used car lot balloon man, when standing at the vibraphone, with his hitler-esque hairstyle, this description really hit home. They blow through a set of originals, each player wearing their virtuosity. Smith was mesmerizing at vibes, the 4 stick approach almost feels like chords being plunked. Melford had her back to the crowd so it was difficult to see, but her runs spoke volumes. At one point, Smith damaged a snare drum and queried Greg the soundguy about a replacement in the closet. Yes, off of the concert space, the Firehouse has an isle of misfit instruments to satisfy the needs of a wide range of artists. Nice to see this trio stretching it out.
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