You don’t often see the same group of musicians consistently recording together for decades. But that’s the case with organist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and drummer Bill Stewart, who are celebrating more than 30 years as a trio with their latest album Perpetual Pendulum.
Perpetual Pendulum was recorded in July of 2021 at New York’s Sear Sound, a studio with which the trio also shares a storied history dating back to their second recording together, Light Blue, released in 1992. The session also fell on the 30th anniversary of the release of their debut, Larry Goldings’ 1991 album The Intimacy of the Blues.
The origin of their trio makes the release of Perpetual Pendulum on Smoke Sessions particularly significant. Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, the label’s parent venue, was opened on the former site of Augie’s Jazz Bar, where Goldings, Bernstein and Stewart established their rapport on a regular Thursday night gig beginning in 1989.
“Thirty-plus years is definitely a milestone,” Bernstein says. “Especially when you consider it in light of jazz history. It’s trippy to think about, but that’s equivalent to keeping a band together from 1940 to 1970. If you think about how short a time so many of our musical heroes were even active, let alone have a group together — I mean, the classic Coltrane quartet was only together for about four years. So it is pretty significant.”
Watch a video trailer for the album below.
