3 Days of 3 + Noah B. and Chris D. (not together this time)

It's a busy weekend at The Buttonwood Tree starting Friday night with a visit from The Electric Trains, a "roots music" trio based in Connecticut.  All their songs deal with travel, the people one meets along the way and the things that can happen.  They'll begin at 8 p.m.

Saturday, it's the "electro-acoustic improvisations" of 9:55, another Connecticut-based trio but one whose members create music "in the moment" that is to say totally improvised.  The musical adventure starts at 8 p.m.

Sunday, the "Trio" theme continues when pianist-composer-educator Noah Baerman brings his Trio to The Buttonwood for a 3 p.m. show.   Bassist Henry Lugo and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza join Mr. Baerman for a program of classy originals, fine standards and smart improvisations - the Trio has been performing the "Fulfillingness Project", the music of Stevie Wonder and, hopefully, will  treat the audience with plenty of that music as well.

For more information, call 860-347-4957 or go to www.buttonwood.org. 

Vibraphonist/composer Chris Dingman, Wesleyan graduate and collaborator with Noah Baerman on the latter's wonderful "Know Thyself" project, has just issued his debut CD. "Waking Dreams" (self-issued) features an impressive cast of young musicians on a program of original pieces (save for Joe Chamber's "Nocturnal" ) dedicated to the composer's creative process that continues into his sleeping time.  Joined by the fine trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, pianist Fabian Almazan, saxophonist Loren Stillman, bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Justin Brown with guests Ryan Ferriera (guitar), Mark Small (bass clarinet) and West Hartford native Erica von Kleist (flute - she, too, appeared on Baerman's project.)
There certainly a dream-like quality to the opening pieces but there are also moments when the band and music takes flight. The solos are uniformly excellent and the rhythm section strong, supportive as well as catalysts for rhythmic adventure.

In the liner notes, Dingman (who has also performed and recorded with fellow Wesleyan grad Steve Lehman) gives credit to a good number of people, including the afore-mentioned Mr. Baerman and Wesleyan Professor Jay Hoggard.  At a time when jazz continues to be ignored in most of the mainstream media, it would be a crime for people who love creative music to miss this impressive music.  For more information, go to www.chrisdingman.com.    A more comprehensive review of the CD will appear on my music blog - steptempest.blogspot.com - in the next few weeks.