J.A.E. Trio - PUSH PULLJason Reddish - DrumsAlex Blitz - BassEckersid Silapaswang - Guitar- Formed in 2013 to work on jazz standards, the J.A.E. Trio has morphed into a versatile and valid group to check out. After lifetimes of study, all three are accomplished in their own right. This alone doesn’t make a great trio - what does is that hard-to-find chemistry everyone is desperately trying to seek.- The J.A.E. Trio’s appreciation and respect for the music they interpret is pretty apparent when you get the pleasure to see them live. They can vary their sound going from an up-tempo swing like Coltrane’s ‘Impressions’ or ‘Cherokee’ to a shuffling 12 bar blues, to a ballad, to a jam band rocker all in one set. With Silapaswang’s melodic distinct tones, voicings, and phrasings over the tight, grooving rhythm section of Blitz and Reddish, the trio comes together like three perfect puzzle pieces. It’s also very interesting and unselfish when you hear the rhythm section pick up the melodies while Silapaswang’s ambidextrous guitar fills in the rhythm section. The three truly complement each other as musicians.- The definition of this trio is vast and broad. They are essentially a jazz trio but can morph into jam, blues, R&B, and rock. They have something for every audience and come highly recommended by the people who have experienced them live.- On really cold and snowy days in December, 2014 in New Jersey, they hit the studio to record their first full length with Master Tom Tedesco after writing and rehearsing for a year. The record evolved sort of how the trio evolved. What began as an exercise in getting comfortable with one another’s styles by going over jazz standards had evolved into a collection of all their influences in original tunes. They wanted to stay true to the spirit of jazz through improvisation, paying homage to the masters, but at the same time allow their distinct styles to come through."We set out to make a jazz record and be a jazz trio initially, but essentially, Eckie started coming into the studio with so many cool ideas, songs and charts that we just followed his lead and trusted that it would turn out d**e," says Reddish.“We took what we loved about jazz, rock, jam bands, our favorite tunes, and really let that shine on this album. All the tunes were written together, with key parts reserved to specifically showcase a vibe or feel that we loved”."When we hooked up with Tom, whose recorded so much magic in Paramus over the years, we knew the material was in the best hands possible. We knew he could capture that buzz we get when we are performing live or rehearsing. Tom really complimented the hard work we put in."- The record opens with the title track ‘Push Pull’. It is a more up tempo, almost R&B progression that's meant to wake you up for the journey with a throwback feel. The title of the song and project was symbolic of how the trio put the recordings together. All three have a martial arts background so the Yin Yang approach towards life was put into this record. Things evolved naturally and organically. When the bass pushes the tempo the drums seem to pull the melody along and the up front melodies and solos are never in conflict.‘Desert Blues’ has a nice bossa nova groove and feel. The raw sound of Blitz's upright (which he still brought to this session with a broken foot) opens the track with a dark and moody ‘Footprints’ feel. I almost heard Miles whispering"TEEEEEO, TEEEEEEEO" at the end of it.‘Cosmic Samba’ is a fast uptempo samba with a melody that was influenced from the trio’s love of video games. They pull in other influences from modern jazz and rock to round out the tune’s sound.‘Poetic License’ is a nice smoky blues in 6 that dynamically goes from a soft and melodic Summertime feel to a grinding, Marshall Stack sounding rock tune. Blitz is on the upright once again filling in the bottom and soloing over the melody. Reddish brings a jazz feel to the groove riding in 6.‘Reggae Tune’ elicits the trio’s diversity and versatility going from a trancy almost dance loungey intro, into a deep reggae groove accenting the three, reminiscent of old Tosh and Marley records. Once you are in that direction there are solos and almost some organized confusion into a swing shuffle. Although there are many flavors in this track they all seem to work and come together in a colorful and spicy sauce.‘Cyril’ was written as a play off of a popular TV show theme, the title highlighting one of its supporting cast members. The song also pulls in influences from indie rock and Pink Floyd during its slower breaks.‘Inama’ is a jazz ballad in 6 and shows the trio’s jazz roots along with Eckie's complex melodic interpretations of II, V I. It taciturnly paints the picture of an old standard but adds a new beautiful melody to an old format that touches the soul and spews color. Blitz tames the upright into a harmonic voice and Reddish's brushes are subtle but adds the heartbeat to the spacey 6.‘Gutbucket’ is a challenging chart, especially to solo over and a blast to listen to. Reminiscent of Wayne Shorter's ‘Speak No Evil Sessions’, it even draws influence from Thelonius Monk and is a tribute to that era in jazz.‘Sticky Situation’ shows Blitz's diversity on the electric and the groups versatility and love of funk and jam bands. It also digresses and teases with an R&B feel that was brushed on in previous tracks.The record closes with ‘Dirty Mog’, a track that showcases the group’s love for the great jam bands of our era. A good closer and conclusion to the musical journey that began pushing and pulling me in every direction none of which were inauspicious or adverse.- Ian Gitlen (Jazz Forums)