On February 18th, 2022, Simon Mulligan took the stage at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown, PA joined by bassist Gene Perla and drummer Adam Nussbaum to perform as a jazz trio.

It wouldn’t surprise people familiar with Simon’s work to find him in a symphony hall or to find Gene and Adam in a jazz trio and that’s what makes this recording so special. Masters from very different genres coming together to discover what they have in common.

The trio starts off with three ballads, “Days of Old” by Maia Nussbaum, “Same Old Story” by Stevie Wonder, and “Stardust” by Hoagy Carmichael. The dynamic range displayed by the trio on these ballads can only be accomplished by true masters and has the effect of inviting the listener into an intimate conversation.

The Hoagy Carmichael classic “Up A Lazy River” is given a lighthearted treatment that stays true to the original feel of the song that I’m sure would make Hoagy smile.

The trio brings an up tempo Bossa groove to “Brazil” following a beautiful Gershwin inspired intro by Simon.

“Fly Me to The Moon” gets a mid-tempo swing treatment here with Gene and Adam both taking solos.

Simon’s composition “Now That I’ve Met You” invokes images of a bygone era with Cole Porter or Fats Waller’s melodies providing the soundtrack.

“Miss Me?” Simon perfectly captures the nuance, inflections and phrasing of the spoken word on this piece. You don’t have to hear the words to know what’s being said.
 
“Spring Rain” has found the superb trio to interpret this stunning ballad by Gene. One of my favorites!

The trio brings some Latin heat to Simons up tempo “Sassafras.” 7 minutes and 20 seconds of pure joy.

The concert ends with a beautiful rendition of the classic “The Girl from Ipanema.”

The power of improvisation is that every song, no matter how many times you play it, is an opportunity to bring something new to it. Every performance is a Genesis.

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