feature photo: Annie Del Hierro Jost
When bassist Nick Jost, reedman Kyle Nasser and drummer Peter Kronreif formed Triple Blind, it was in the middle of the Covid lockdown and they had to put together their first, self-titled album remote from each other. That became the way a lot of records had to be created during that time, but as a jazz group with improvisational leanings, it could be a challenge. They met that challenge simply by incorporating contemporary styles of music that lend themselves better for structured melodies and programmed rhythms.
Their second album Cold Walk didn’t face the same complication but the sound they formed from the first carried over, even as they went in the opposite direction and went into a real studio to track Cold Walk live. They also added an electric keyboardist, Dov Manski.
The ‘live in studio’ treatment did wonders: you can clearly hear everyone’s contributions and discover how this is focused, integrated unit. I credit Eli Crews’ thoughtful engineering, who leveraged the possibilities in recording in a studio that was once a church.
There are comparisons you can make with Triple Blind; the first band I think of is Kneebody. I previously characterized that electric jazz supergroup’s music this way: “There’s funk and rock there to be sure, but more attention is paid to crafting precocious harmonic structures, contemporary textures and collective acumen on an equal footing with individual chops.”
That’s an apt description of Triple Blind’s style, too, but besides not having a trumpet player, this newer band has a secret weapon and that’s Nasser’s compositions; he contributed all the songs except for the brief, free group improvisation “Z Interlude.” There’s an advanced modern jazz sensibilities to his tunes that’s non-repetitive and forward moving. “Sketchy Invention” is through-composed but at the same time feels like a unified piece, not a stitching together of disparate ideas, and close interaction between the players plays a big part in that cohesiveness.
“Yarn Spin” on the other hand, is a little schizo, launching into a funk commotion and crashing down into free form desolation and then climbing back into a multi-rhythm groove.
“Bask” is lugubrious, a somber canticle where all the action is left to Kronreif, who puts aside the timekeeping role for this occasion to add the spark. “Chaotic Eyes” straddles the line between true jazz and contemporary pop music forms but sports nice soprano sax chops and a snazzy Rhodes solo over an off-kilter snare beat.
The hushed “Song For Zayn” is moody and searching; Jost’s cogitative bass perfectly reflects the moment, particular when it embarks on its solo journey. Nasser goes baritone sax for “Without Basis” and it’s all but a bari/drums duet as Kronreif’s funky pulse is given equal space while Nasser is settling into his pocket.
Triple Blind’s Cold Walk chronicles a band finding its signature approach to contemporary jazz that combines that headiness of modern jazz with the freshness of today’s indie pop. Cold Walk is available today and can be obtained from Bandcamp.
| Album Cover | Artist | Title | Format | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Kneebody | Reach | CD | Purchase Here |
 | Kneebody | Anti-Hero | CD | Purchase Here |
 | Kneebody | Chapters | CD | Purchase Here |
 | Kneebody | Kneebody | CD | Purchase Here |
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