Trios: Sacred Thread

is the third and final album in 's project in 2022. Its releases offer three different triads in concert settings, its players recruited from the saxophonist's vast stable of collaborators. , with guitarist and bassist , appeared in June offering jazz and Latin standards and compositions dating back to the early 1960s. and pianist , followed in September. Its program was composed of four originals offered as vehicles for lengthy improvisation. places the saxophonist/composer in the company of guitarist and Indian percussionist/vocalist . On September 26, 2020, livestreamed this concert for a virtual audience from Sonoma County, California. It is the only one of these three releases to include percussion and vocals, and the only entry to include compositions from another member of the group: wrote three of these seven tunes. Set opener "Desolation Sound" is a ballad that originally appeared on 2010's . 's intimate, bluesy phrasing is painted by tablas and elegant chord voicings on electric guitar. 's solo follows 's own tender statement with denser, dark-tinged chords and eerie single lines. The saxophonist doesn't appear on "Guman," a brief guru devotion sung by in raga style with as his accompanist. It segues into 's "Nachekita's Lament" (from 1998's ). The track follows the raga blueprint until the middle, then 's moaning vocal chant and hand drums color 's droning modal blues chords. 's canny flute solo engages both players as the drama increases. There is some very inventive call-and-response between guitar, tablas, and voice in the final section. plays tarogato on 's brief, spiritual interlude "Saraswati," offered for the Hindu goddess of music and art. It introduces the percussionist's "Kuti," a long ballad commenced by a lilting flute. 's melodic chord voicings offer assonant support as sings. Halfway through, percussion increases the tempo as and dialogue. The guitarist's solo is particularly canny, with a diverse palette of shorts lines and phrases offering a multi-dimensional harmonic foundation. An earlier version of "Tales of Rumi" appeared on 2006's (featuring ). Introduced by mridangam and tablas, it bubbles and flows before his bandmates enter juxtaposing Eastern ( ) and Western ( ) themes and harmonies. Closer "The Blessing" has a long history: first performed it live in 1983 with pianist . He later recorded a radically different version for 1993's with a quartet. This one is delivered mostly as a duo between 's resonant tenor and 's mysterious, constantly illustrative six-string shapes. later underscores it from the margin with carefully placed handbells to which the guitarist responds with drama. is the fitting sendoff volume for the project. Its tunes are wrought with nearly symbiotic aesthetic interplay, spiritual connection, intimacy, and even tenderness. ~ Thom Jurek