CD Review: Mike Jones, Penn Jillette and Jeff Hamilton, "Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What Your're Doing?"
Pianist Mike Jones whose day job over the last 21 years has been being musical director and opening act with the legendary magicians Penn & Teller at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. Jones is a graduate from the Berklee College of Music and has performed at numerous Jazz clubs in Boston and New York. He has published more than 12 albums as a leader and is a straightahead pianist whose heros are Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. He can handle Jazz standards with ease and grace. Mike would be a perfect lead in any Jazz trio but he is really at his best playing with one of the very best drummers performing today, Jeff Hamilton. I have done many reviews of Jeff Hamilton on this blog and all his Cds are great. I think Jeff's work with Diana Krall has been fantastic and "The Diana Krall Live in Paris" recording with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra is still one of my all-time favorite albums. The third member of the group became famous not because of his Bass playing but because he is one of the most respected and irreverent magician of his generation. Penn and Teller have headlined one of the most successful Las Vegas shows for over 30 years. However there has been another love in Penn Jillette's life that started late in his life at age 48 when he decided he had to learn how to play the upright Bass. As soon as Penn honed his skills on the Bass he started playing with Jones as part of the opening of his show. As you will hear on this CD, he has become skilled at playing upright Bass.
The idea of the CD came about when Hamilton dropped by to see the Penn and Teller Show and suggested that the three of them record together. One would think that such a seasoned performer like Penn Jillette would not have stage fright playing with anyone, however Jeff Hamilton is Penn's favorite Drummer and he suddenly came down with a case of the jitters. "Penn freaked out" Jones recalls, "He was as nervous as I've ever seen him with quotes like "This is absurd and I'm out of my league". Penn's concern contributed to the title of the CD "Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You're Doing?". Happily for us, this trio recorded this CD and it is a delight to listen to. The playlist gives all three musicians the room to stretch their musical Jazz imaginations and musical skills. This Cd is a perfect example of why the Piano Jazz trio has always been a favorite with Jazz lovers.
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