The Trio’s Personnel
André Previn, piano; Red Mitchell, bass; Frankie Capp, drums
Dave recalls...
Upon entering the cavernous venue, I heard Red Mitchell cleanly articulating bass line patterns somewhere in the unseen reaches of the club. The huge, rich, round notes coming from his vintage bass should have been recorded all by themselves. As the ornate doors to the kitchen swung open and a formally attired waiter appeared with a tray of steaming food, I saw Mitchell bantering with the chef while continuing to warm up, a joyous picture of self-assured artistic maturity.
The trio’s first almost hour-long set reached creative heights through instrumental sensitivity and intuitive interplay rather than by superficially induced climaxes. Previn, as the lead voice in a tightly swinging small group from whom the wellspring of improvisational inspiration was guaranteed, became simultaneously liberated, complex, intense, original and exhilarating—all with unbelievable technique. In contrast with his imaginative single lines, his chordal passages often evoked startled responses from listeners in recognition of the sheer impossibility of what had just been played.
Mitchell’s time leaped out of the ensemble in huge, fat pulsations, replete with surprisingly syncopated rhythmic figures. I could feel his low blues inflections in the pit of my stomach. Often extending to two choruses, his solos contained phrase deliberations of various lengths to make emphatic melodic points. The second set contained even more structural surprises, for now Previn, Mitchell and Capp were warmed up and at the top of their creative game.
Point of interest: Just one change could have improved on the evening’s musical output. If only … Shelly Manne had been the drummer.