Joe Fonda • Carlo Morena • Jeff Hirshfield
«What We're Hearing»

• Carlo Morena - piano
• Joe Fonda - bass
• Jeff Hirshfield - drums

1. My Blues (Joe Fonda) 13:36
2. Mars Bars (Michael Musillami) 8:22
3. When It's Time (Atilla Zoller) 10:04
4. Begin (Carlo Morena) 7:06
5. Love You, Too (Carlo Morena) 10:18
6. Persuasions (Carlo Morena) 6:30
7. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (Nacio Herb Brown) 4:31

CD Reviews

• Nils Jacobson for All About Jazz
• Jesús Moreno for Tomajazz  Spanish language

December 1, 2000 by Nils Jacobson for All About Jazz

Joe Fonda's swinging straightahead trio on 1994's What We're Hearing includes Carlo Morena, a four-year prior collaborator; and Jeff Hirshfield, a relative newcomer to Fonda's musical universe. The trio plays with a degree of tightness and clarity that generally characterizes more long-term associations. The corners are all tucked in on What We're Hearing, a studio performance. (One has the sense that this trio could deliver a much more viscerally exciting performance in the live setting.)

Fonda's abundant soloing on this record obeys a much more obvious melodic order than most of his material. His bass playing in general integrates itself fluidly and unobtrusively into Morena's relatively linear harmonic approach. Carlo Morena, a loose traditionalist, takes conventional forms and personalizes them with a relaxed, singing tone. Morena's three lyrical compositions tend toward a bittersweet, ambivalent sound. Helped along by Hirshfield, the trio stays rhythmically grounded throughout the full hour of improvisation. Occasionally a funky groove pops its head up on What We're Hearing (eg. the drum solo toward the end of the second track), but in general Hirshfield performs what Miles Davis would term "protecting the beat": delivering unrelenting swing on the upbeat material, coupled with understated brushwork on slower pieces. An apt stylistic comparison might be Paul Motian.

What We're Hearing is easily the most straightahead recording in Joe Fonda's oeuvre. This delicate performance offers meticulous attention to detail and a potently melodic feel. After hearing this disc, no one could doubt Fonda's ability to work within the tradition-lending credence to his frequent trips "out" in other projects.

Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 All About Jazz and Nils Jacobson.

All reviews written by Nils Jacobson:

1. Joe Fonda: When It's Time
2. Anthony Braxton: Charlie Parker Project
3. FAB: Transforming The Space
4. Joe Fonda & Xu Fengxia: Distance
5. The Nu Band: Live at the Bop Shop, Rochester, NY
6. Michael Musillami Trio: Beijing
7. Morena-Fonda-Hirshfield: What We're Hearing

Jesús Moreno for Tomajazz

El pianista italiano Carlo Morena sentó base en nuestro país desde comienzos de la presente década hasta hace poco en que se trasladó a Portugal. Aquí, amén de un fabuloso y, casi, desconocido grupo como fue el Mosaik Quartet, centró buena parte de su labor en la realización de giras con solistas foráneos. Así trabó contacto con el contrabajista neoyorkino Joe Fonda, en la actualidad un habitual colaborador de Anthony Braxton.

De esta colaboración fueron fruto algunas muy interesantes giras por el circuito de clubs y recientemente el presente cd, un trabajo grabado en NY pero que es un fiel reflejo del clima de dialogo que se estableció entre Carlo y Joe. El melódico pianismo de Carlo y el eficaz trabajo de Joe se ven reforzados por la gran labor de Jeff Hirshfield, un baterķa tan discreto como eficiente.

Un disco que hará las delicias de los amantes de los tríos de piano y que sirve para lamentarnos por el gran pianista, que pasó entre nosotros sin pena ni gloria.

Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 Tomajazz and Jesús Moreno.

CD Reviews

All reviews written by Jesús Moreno:

1. Joe Fonda: From the Source
2. Morena-Fonda-Hirshfield: What We're Hearing