Glenn Zaleski - Star Dreams

The health of the jazz ecosystem can be discerned by sampling musicians who use tried and true means to express themselves. By listening, it can be ascertained whether there is proper respect for the tradition blended with creative touches that move the music ahead. The piano trio is a perfect vehicle to demonstrate this phenomenon and Glenn Zaleski's trio is an ideal example of a group that holds true to jazz traditions while trying to add something more.

Presenting their third release on Sunnyside Records, Star Dreams, Zaleski, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Willie Jones III present an ideal contemporary program that swings but also broadens the language and repertory of the jazz piano trio. Originally from Massachusetts, Zaleski has become a notable leader and sideman in New York City's jazz scene over the past decade and a half. His recent collaborations have included brilliant stylists, like Cécile McLorin Salvant, Ken Peplowski, and Ravi Coltrane. It was with Coltrane that Zaleski met Douglas, who has been instrumental to Zaleski's trio sound. Zaleski began playing regularly with Jones in Peplowski's ensemble.

During the pandemic, Zaleski introduced the trio with Douglas and Jones at Mezzrow Jazz Club, playing frequently for two years. Zaleski found that Douglas and Jones provided a perfect balance of support and interaction; the swing that they produced was a powerful force with a special rhythmic energy. Zaleski decided that it would be ideal to record the trio, as their performances had felt amazing and rewarded the audience and band alike. In deciding material, Zaleski chose to continue his tradition of honoring his contemporaries and friends by adding their music to the band's book along with his originals and better-known standards. The trio recorded at Acoustic Studios in Brooklyn, New York in October 2023.