Benjamin Taubkin

Trio + 1 Benjamin Taubkin

Playing with this ensemble feels like arriving somewhere cozy - it's a new departure point for me as a musician. Sharing the stage, the studio and my life with these three superb instrumentalists is a true privilege. Rarely have I felt such a common sense of identity, or has direction come so naturally, as it has with this group. This album was recorded live, in three days. Each day we worked on two songs, recording three takes each. The take that made it to the disc was the one that best showcased the sound of the whole group. The project began as a trio. We played a few concerts, and little by little, we began to recognize a unique language that had emerged. This language established our style of play, which involves a lot of spontaneous creation and more elaborate pieces. Joatan became a regular after he played with us in Salvador city. The mutual identification came as instantaneously as it did with the others. The final mix sought to maintain all of the instruments on one level. (The idea of a dialog here is fundamental.) That way it's possible to accompany the course of each individual and of the group as a whole. On this CD, as on several others, we count on the master work of Alberto Ranellucci - who I consider another (indispensable) musician for this project. The presence of Fernando Sardo, with his incredible instruments, added another significant factor. I hope we can create many other songs from the encounter of these sounds. - Benjamin Taubkin.