Sense

...Koenigsberg drives his band into frenzied experiments that keep the experience lively and surprising.
John Ginn / Eugene Weekly

Of the many eclectic influences informing the Toby Koenigsberg Trio - Jarrett, Mehldau, Evans, Clusone 3, Elliott Smith - none are more apparent than that provided by their own inner voices. Fresh and spirited with prodigious chops and a depth of musical enterprise, the trio visits the Bud Powell gems "Oblivian" and "So Sorry Please" along with several dynamic originals and a poignant reading of "My Foolish Heart." The trio, with drummer Jason Palmer and bassist Tyler Abbott, is based in Eugene, Oregon where Toby is assistant Professor of jazz piano at the University of Oregon. He received his Master of Music from Eastman and pursued graduate study at the Peabody Conservatory.

Production Info:

Produced by the TOBY KOENIGSBERG TRIO
Recorded by RANDY PORTER at Heavywood Studios, Portland, OR
June 8-10, 2005 and January 6, 2006
Mixed by BOB STARK at Kung Fu Bakery, Portland, OR
Mastered by DAVID GLASSER, Airshow Mastering, Boulder, CO
Cover art by MADELINE STURM ~ www.madelinesturm.com
Photography by TODD BISHOP
Layout and design by JOHN BISHOP

Reviews of Sense

Eugene Weekly (John Ginn)
If you like your jazz on the harder-edged side, Toby Koenigsberg and his audacious henchmen might be just the cup of java you're looking for. Sounding a bit like Vince Guaraldi in overdrive, Koenigsberg drives his band into frenzied experiments that keep the experience lively and surprising. It's easy to imagine them playing to a room full of noddi ...

All About Jazz (Dan McClenaghan)
On Sense, pianist Toby Koenigsberg's trio offers up a wistful and straightforward take on the American Songbook classic "My Foolish Heart," including a poignant, spare reading of the familiar melody. However, everything else on the disc pushes the boundaries. The trio opens and closes the set with tunes by the New York-based trumpeter Andre C ...

All Music Guide (Ken Dryden)
Pianist Toby Koenigsberg's second CD as a leader is a mind-stretching trio affair featuring bassist Tyler Abbott and drummer Jason Palmer, delving into famous and lesser known jazz compositions, standards and originals. While most pianists tackle Bud Powell's works in a fairly straight-forward manner, Koenigsberg and his musicians reshape "Oblivion ...

Eugene Register-Guard (Serena Markstrom )
Getting a song stuck in your head can be frustrating, but imagine if you believed your future as a musician depended on getting it out. As a graduate student, Toby Koenigsberg realized his challenge as a pianist was to stop theorizing and intellectualizing and start playing from his heart instead of his mind. That's what he was trying to ...

Eugene Weekly (Vanessa Salvia)
To really get a feel for Toby Koenigsberg's new CD, Sense, you have to hear it. It's smooth jazz piano that, to my ears, is reminiscent of early Miles Davis transcribed for piano, bass and drums. Koenigsberg is assistant professor of jazz piano at the UO, where he earned his undergraduate degree in music before furthering his education at bot ...

The Daily Emerald (Inka Bajandas)
University faculty don't just write textbooks. Some of them are producing their own CDs. The Toby Koenigsberg Trio, featuring three University Jazz Studies Department faculty members, will celebrate the release of its new album tonight at the Luna jazz club. Toby Koenigsberg on the piano, Tyler Abbott on the bass and Jason Palmer on drums will ...

The Davis Enterprise, October 5, 2006 (Ric Bang)
Toby Koenigsberg grew up in Eugene, Ore. where he's now an assistant professor of jazz piano at the University of Oregon. He received his master of music degree from Eastman, and then pursued graduate studies at the Peabody Conservatory. Jason Palmer, the trio's drummer, has been associated with Koenigsberg for 15 years, when they formed their ...

Cadence, December 2006 (Jim Santella)
Sense features the Toby Koenigsberg Trio in a modern mainstream program that includes original works as well as those of pioneers such as Bud Powell and Bill Evans. Based in Oregon, and working cohesively as old friends will do, the trio offers creative forays into Jazz's core. Two brief interpretations of "Stella By Starlight" serve to demonstrate ...

All About Jazz (Terrell Kent Holmes)
On Sense, the Toby Koenigsberg Trio approaches jazz from intriguing angles, bringing an exciting energy and edginess to both originals and standards. The group's preferred organizing principle can be described as deconstruction by addition. The pianist/leader approaches Bud Powell's "Oblivion" by artfully inserting bits and pieces of the melody lik ...

Audiophile Audition (Birney K. Brown)
To summarize this 2006 release first: This is an absolutely superb piano trio delivering a magnificent program. I've listened to this disc numerous times, both on my dedicated home system and in the car. One of my first impressions was how well the group was captured by the engineer. I then noticed that the HDCD indicator light was glowing on my ...