Where the Light Falls

David Friesen's working trio, with pianist Greg Goebel and drummer Charlie Doggett, has released a 2-disc live set, with guest guitarist Larry Koonse on nine of the nineteen tracks. The trio tracks are from a 2013 set in Germany and a 2014 set in Portland, OR, with Koonse added for a 2013 date in Tempe, AZ. On disc, the songs switch back and forth between trio and quartet; all are composed by the leader. Opening the first disc is the bright and airy "Playground," with solos handed effortlessly from one musician to the next. Friesen is nimble on "Dance With Me." Koonse takes an unusual strummed solo on the boppish "Left Field Blues." Friesen's bass provides a strong pulse to "Stepping Stones." Goebel and Friesen engage in a delicate duet to open the ballad "Song For Ben," before Doggett joins with taste and subtlety at the 2-minute mark. The closing "Tribute" begins with an almost 3-minute bass introduction, leading into a sprightly quartet. Throughout both discs, whether the trio or quartet numbers, the musicians convey the feeling that this is truly a group effort, not just a showcase for Friesen's exemplary bass work.