Firebird
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States | Established. Jan 01, 2015
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Tuesday, August 18
firebirdA few weeks ago, I noted thatShannon Gunn‘s newFirebird Organ Trio was a rare one indeed: a combination of organ and trombone. Now, having seen that combo play, I can’t help but think, “what took them so long?” The organ and the trombone are a natural fit in terms of range (even with organ doubling as ground bass), timbre, and soul, something for which the ‘bone, with its unique palette of tone colors, has an unheralded knack. Gunn compounds that with a canny melodic sense in her improvisations, somehow tightly thematic and loosely abstract at the same time. Drummer Allen Jones has an intricately formed but solid sense of groove, no weaker tracing a funk line than in swinging away. The organ is a rotating seat; this week, it will be warmed by jazz polymath Todd Simon, who has yet to prove himself anything but fantastic in the music. The Firebird Organ Trio performs at 8 p.m. at Columbia Station, 2325 18th Street NW. Free.
– Michael J. West, Washington City Paper Arts Desk Blog - Washington City Paper
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Groove… that’s what defines the Firebird Organ Trio. You might hear a cover of Wilco on the same set as a Hank Mobley tune mixed in with funk infused originals. No stone goes uncovered as they explore the free, the funk, and the jazz that is in everything. The Firebird Organ Trio is the current artist in residence on Tuesday nights at Columbia Station in Adams Morgan, DC. Every week the ensemble plays through an entire album on the first set from 8 to 9:30, then opens up the bandstand to instrumentalists and vocalists for an originals-laden jam session from 10 pm to 11 pm. Special guests bring their own flavor of music to the bandstand – you never know what you will hear when everyone is improvising on the spot!
“Now, having seen that combo play, I can’t help but think, “what took them so long?” The organ and the trombone are a natural fit in terms of range (even with organ doubling as ground bass), timbre, and soul, something for which the ‘bone, with its unique palette of tone colors, has an unheralded knack. Gunn compounds that with a canny melodic sense in her improvisations, somehow tightly thematic and loosely abstract at the same time. Drummer Allen Jones has an intricately formed but solid sense of groove, no weaker tracing a funk line than in swinging away. The organ is a rotating seat…” – Michael West, Washington City Paper
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