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Mike Wilbur's latest trio, "Mike Wilbur 3," is a departure from the tenor sax duo / drums orchestration of the past. It is composed of Mike Wilbur (Moon Hooch) on tenor sax, Nick Jozwiak (Aaron Burnett's 'Big Machine') on bass, and Dave Treut (D.Treut) on drums. With the latest four-song EP, entitled "Baby Steps," the trio maintains the constant composition / heavily improv-based style of the past ensemble with a heightened performance sensibility that Jozwiak and Treut bring to the table. The end result exceeds all previous expectations, creating a sublime listening experience.

Mike, Nick and Dave came on the NYC jazz scene as organically as one could hope, cutting their teeth at small, but iconic improv clubs like Smalls at young ages. Mike, embraced even more humble origins: the NYC subway, where he not only gained a reputation for his unique improvisation style, but also learned about space and sound in a completely different context -- lessons that carried over into his composition and performance.

The music is a study of extremities and brevity: at times, the sax is ethereal and delicate, with a methodically subdued rhythm section as backdrop. These measures have a meditative quality, where the airy repetition meets open space. These dream-like moments are fleeting as the sax changes character, and we hear a guttural, almost primordial tone, warning the listener not to get too comfortable; advising to always be listening.

Uniquely, each piece is a fragment of a larger, compositional arc. The conciseness of each song proves more effective than a looser and longer improvisation; it allows the listener to recalibrate and absorb more of the content. The music neither over intellectualizes nor dumbs-down; the musicians are in fact considering the audience in order to provide the most impactful listening experience possible.

MIke Wibur 3's "Baby Steps" is out on Friday 1/25/19.

Born in Brockton, MA
Lives in Brooklyn, NY
Always moving.

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