PD3 with Dick Pearce CD
Pete Downes: electric and acoustic guitar
Dick Pearce: trumpet and flugelhorn
Andy Coe: acoustic & electric bass
Tim Bruce: Drums
REVIEWS
“Downes’ evocations leap from hairy rock-tinged John Scofield (Killer Joe), to howling Hendrix (Straight No Chaser) to rhapsodic-acoustic Ralph Towner (View in Blue). Downes’ alert comping enables Pearce’s trumpet to really stretch out over Coe and Bruce’s beats”
Jack Massarik
“This is jazz that spans many different moods and intensities. I say it’s a tribute to the skills of both soloists that they achieve these mood changes without showing any joins.”
Bob Bevan-Jones
About With Dick Pearce Live
PD3 have joined forces with legendary trumpet player Dick Pearce and produced an electrifying live recording from a performance at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London.
“New material was chosen at a rehearsal before the gigs” says Pete, ” therefore many of the tunes were performed for the first or second time. It’s very exciting to capture that freshness in front of an audience.”
PD3 received critical acclaim with their earlier releases ‘Street Scene‘ and ‘Into the Blue’ from the likes of Jazzwise, The Observer and Jazz Journal International. Dick Pearce (trumpet/flugelhorn) was in Ronnie Scott’s band for many years and works regularly with the likes of Stan Tracy and other leading British jazz artists.
“I wrote ‘View in Blue’ for Dick” says Pete. “We had never played it live and had intentionally not worked out a concrete arrangement, yet it came together on the night and Dick’s playing is hauntingly beautiful. Also the arrangement of Mozart’s Requiem was for Dick. I took the first few bars before the choral section and merged the woodwind themes into a composite tune. Our original reggae-jazz version of Cantaloupe Island starts the CD and, as you can probably tell from the choice of material, we’ve retained our diverse influences throughout. ”
” We met Dick at one of our trio performances” says Pete, “He said he thought our sound was exciting and that he’d like to play with us. We were really pleased as it was just what we were looking for as he adds immensly to the sound and retains originality and sensitivity. We’ve managed to retain the space and dynamics that we utilise almost as another instrument. Dick was aware of this and there is space to create pictures and movement.
Tim Bruce (drums) and Andy Coe (double bass) complete the quartet and were the rhythm section on the first two recordings. “Tim is a very percussive drummer and when you play with him you can feel him listening. Andy is very visual and entertains the audience with his physical approach.”
” Of course there are imperfections in a live recording, but life is like that. You hear the humanity come through. I’ve always been excited by live recordings: Weather Report 8.30, We Want Miles. John Mclaughlin Trio at the Festival Hall are in my Desert Island Disc list.”
The cover design uses only photos by David Bell taken at the first nights performance and compliments the immediacy of the music.
Andy Coe’s extreme and unique bass playing not only providing a solid back line, but pulsing through on solos and driving the tracks along to Tim Bruce’s meticulous drumming. Pete Downes’ guitar work is unrivalled, but never over the top or self indulgent. He is a master of understatement and delicate phrasing, but when the track requires power, he’s there adding just the right amount of weight so as not to overpower or derail the beauty of the track.