Opener

Halfway through the album, I thought I’d return to the roots of my musicianship by showcasing the original trio. This song is especially fun to play due to the “call and response” style of trading at the head, which evokes jazz standards such as “Stompin’ at the Savoy”. I often play “Opener” as the first song of the night because it always energizes the band. It has that classic bebop feel, while utilizing more modern harmonies. And as usual, Jonathan is slammin’ hard on this tune. “Opener” is my nod to both traditional jazz and bebop - the essential foundations of our modern jazz vocabulary.