Though pianist Edward Simon was the only named artist in SFJAZZ’s billing for Three Visitors, every aspect of the collective trio’s Nov. 21 Joe Henderson Lab performance reinforced the ensemble’s collaborative nature.
The Venezuelan-born, Emeryville-based Simon is the longest-serving member of the in-house SFJAZZ Collective, so it’s no surprise that he’d be the Visitor listed. But drummer Brian Blade and bassist Scott Colley, two of jazz’s most recorded and revered accompanists, were equal partners in the proceedings, sharing the mic and seamlessly drifting into the foreground for extended passages.
On the second of four sold-out shows, the group exemplified an enticing but precarious leaderless model that made for exquisitely balanced, high-wire trialogues. Almost every passage featured at least two of the players interacting in tight but relaxed calibration, rather than unaccompanied solos.
Following the contours of the group’s 2024 album Three Visitors, the trio opened with Simon’s “Nostalgia,” a beautifully undulating but brooding theme that evoked various shades of longing, regret, and self-reflection.
Colley provided the bulk of the set’s material, including the album’s mysterious title track. His episodic “85.7% Of You” exemplified the trio’s egalitarian approach, with the bassist leading the melodic line. Simon’s touch, warm and crisp, often blended with Colley’s bass, creating burnished wooden-metallic tones.
But a good deal of the trio’s drama was generated by the bassist’s rapport with Blade. No drummer in jazz creates more tension and excitement at compressed dynamics than Blade, who never lets you forget jazz’s intimate connection to the dance floor.
As the second set of the evening, this performance had a late-night vibe, tending toward rubato passages rather than up-tempo swing. Simon’s tune “You Are” concluded the show, and as on several earlier pieces, the trio built to a sudden denouement that was followed by a brief passage reprising the opening theme.
Every phrase spoke to the musicians’ two-decades history of performing together in various settings. The group previously toured and recorded as Steel House, but Three Visitors is a better fit, as their music suggests open-ended questions rather than a riveted domicile.
Simon will return early next year to introduce his Latin Heart project, featuring his trio with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Adam Cruz, the Del Sol Quartet, and special guest Chris Potter on reeds. Shows are scheduled at the Presidio Theatre on Jan. 10 and at Saratoga’s Montalvo Arts Center on Jan. 11. An artist who contains multitudes, Simon has made the most of his extended visit to the Bay Area.
