Interaction

Among the dozens of recent releases that deserve serious attention, a few will get it. Among those those receiving it here is bassist David Friesen's new album. From the Portland, Oregon, sinecure in which he thrives when he's not touring the world, bassist Friesen has been performing at home and abroad with his Circle 3 Trio. They are Friesen on bass and Charlie Doggett or Reuben Bradley playing drums. They live in Portland, Oregon, for many years a west coast center of US jazz activity. Nearly from the moment he started playing bass when he was nineteen, Friesen has attracted attention with his drive, harmonic acuity and ability to create new melodies when he solos. if anything, in his late seventies he has added to his resourcefulness and power. In this new two-CD collection, whether the trio is in a Portland studio or performing live at Vienna's Porgy and Bess club, their interaction more than justifies the album's title. The instrumentation is spare, but the close attention the musicians pay one another and the varied pace and content of Friesen's 23 compositions command attention. "Going Forth" is one his more understated pieces.