Refuge Trio - Refuge Trio

2008 release

All about Jazz.com: "The trio dispels a traditional mode of delivery, which works irrefutably well here. It's a persuasive collaboration that can often radiate into unorthodox phrasings, abetted by Bleckmann's shrewd live electronic treatments that compliment either the clement or thrusting passages. And the trio frequently reinvents a particular melody line via an improvisational element. Sure enough, they triumphantly merge a cerebral game-plan with high entertainment, creating a top pick for 2009." April 2009

thejazzbreakfast.com: "Subtle and intriguing, innovative on many levels, and working in the spaces between jazz and all sorts of other kinds of music." February 2009

Chicago Reader: "On this recording [Bleckmann's] vocals function like a third instrument, but he never sounds like he's merely trying to mimic one. It's tremendously rare for a singer to realize the potential of the voice so thoroughly." April 2009

Downbeat: "The alchemy practiced by percussionist John Hollenbeck and vocalist Theo Bleckmann has always been extraordinary. […] Adding Gary Versace's spectral accordion and impressionistic keyboards only deepens and broadens the sonic landscape. As with everything Bleckmann and Hollenbeck do, this recording is full of tiny, stark details, from the singer's precise diction to the acrid decay of some of the drummer's metallic instruments. […] What dominates however, is Bleckmann's distinctive voice … it is a haunting, memorable instrument." Four Stars June 2009