Primal Existence

Jesse Dockx, drummer extraordinaire from Belgium, helped to found this absolutely tasty jazz trio, and with his mentors & mates Piet Verbist (bass) and Lieven Cambre (saxophone), they put together some tunes you won't soon forget... a "prime" example of that is the 5:26 "To Remember"... great drum intro from Jesse, with his partners weaving in right before the one minute mark... you'll listen to this one over & over again (this reminds me quite strongly of some of the old ECM releases, but with a more straightforward energy). I found the opener, "In Peace With Gravity", to be one of the most attractive jazz trio pieces I've listened to (yet) in 2017; some of that may also have to do with the fact that this is the longest cut on the album (9:43), with the gradual development of the tune in a "musical conversation" sort of way leaving the listener completely satisfied. This is a debut recording, and after listening to the entire one-hour set, I guarantee you will surely be hearing much more from these talented players... if you listen to my personal favorite of the ten songs offered up, "You Are Too Beautiful", you will (easily) realize why I say that, too... fantastic bass intro, and a wonderful interaction between the players that will make you glad you're a jazz fan. I give Mamutrio a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an "EQ" (energy quotient) rating of 4.98 for this fine debut.