Scott Colley - This Place (SteepleChase, 1997)

Scott Colley, bass
Chris Potter, tenor sax
Bill Stewart, drums

Recorded September 1997

New York City

Engineer: Josiah Gluck

Scott Colley's recording debut in 1993 began a string of 31 albums under his leadership or co-leadership, as well as a long series of albums with Harold Danko and others. Discogs reports 271 recording credits. Simply put, Colley has been one of the most recorded bassists in jazz for four decades and counting.

This Place was Colley's second album as a leader, following Portable Universe (Freelance, 1996). All members of the trio on This Place come from the same generation, all beginning their careers in the 1990s. Collectively, they are partly responsible for sustaining high standards for jazz in the 90s and beyond.

The program is consistently engaging. John Coltrane's "Mr. Day" begins the album with a familiar blues, followed by a Colley original, "Long Lake." There are many Long Lakes in the U.S., and this one is in Maine where Colley prepped for the recording session. Colley's original title track completes side 1 of the LP.

Three fascinating version of jazz standards grace the B side of This Place. Sonny Rollins' classic "Airegin" immediately invites comparison with the composer's legendary trio sessions at the Village Vanguard in 1957. Although Rollins did not include "Airegin" on the Vanguard dates, it's a great example of his angular approach to composition. Colley and his mates dispatch the number in less than 4 minutes. The other standards are Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks" and Ornette Coleman's "The Blessing."

Throughout, I'm captivated by the chemistry of the trio. Although Chris Potter is the main voice, it's rewarding to focus on details of the rhythm section. For example, Bill Stewart's drum solo on "Airegin" is in 5/4 time, despite the 4/4 signature assigned to the tune.

This Place was recorded digitally and later reissued as a SteepleChase "Audiophile Edition" LP in 2022. The CD version contains 8 tracks; the LP contains 6. I've heard both formats and prefer the LP for its sonics. At 58:14 the CD delivers more music, including Monk's "Ugly Beauty" on which Potter plays bass clarinet. Potter's "Aurora" is also left off the LP.