Ron Miles: Quiver

The adventurous Denver-based trumpeter established an intimate rapport with guitarist Bill Frisell on their stirring 2002 duet project, Heaven. Add drummer Brian Blade and you’ve got an intense, intuitive, risk-taking session. More relaxed than usual, Blade reveals his melodic penchant on the kit, deftly shadowing serpentine melodic lines, as on the jagged, stop-time opener “Bruise” and the Ornette-ish “Rudy-Go-Round.” With Blade switching to brushes and Miles playing with a mute, they find a sublime tenderness on “Queen B.” “Kevin” is underscored by Blade’s syncopated bounce and features some countrified twang from Frisell as the leader defines the upbeat tune in clear, ringing tones. Blade’s drum solo here, as well as his dramatic mallets on a haunting rendition of the 20s’ chestnut “There Ain’t No Sweet Man That’s Worth the Salt of My Tears,” reveal his reverence for the late Elvin Jones. You can hear the collective exuberance on a rollicking, blues-tinged “Just Married,” then feel the depth of emotion on a spacious, darkly graceful rendering of Mancini’s “Days of Wine and Roses.” “Doin’ the Voom Voom,” a jaunty, stripped-down recreation of a hot jazz staple from Ellington’s Cotton Club Orchestra of the 20s, further demonstrates the versatility of this remarkable triumvirate.