Dan McCarthy: A Place Where We Once Lived

  Vibraphonist Dan McCarthy, originally from Toronto, moved to New York in 2004, but returned to Canada in 2019 to pursue an advanced degree in music. With the intrepid team of Thomas Morgan on bass and Rudy Royston on drums, McCarthy recorded A Place Where We Once Lived in Brooklyn the day before he left town. Morgan and Royston, who have been playing in a trio with guitarist Bill Frisell for a few years now, bring their sensitivity, careful mutual listening, and resourcefulness to this elegant and moody program of McCarthy’s original compositions. There’s also one cover, a version of bassist Steve Swallow’s I’m Your Pal from Gary Burton’s 1967 album Lofty Fake Anagram. This lovely melody receives a tender reading from the trio with an appropriate emphasis on Morgan’s sturdy bass. The influential vibraphonist Gary Burton is well-respected for his technical innovations, and McCarthy dedicates Desert Roads to him. One of the set’s many highlights, the piece is gentle and genial to start. The trio slowly accelerates the tempo as they build up quite a head of steam, extending the groove to a bit over eight minutes. Another high point is reached with the taut Sombre Sleep, a gem of carefully balanced swirling vibes and bass with beautifully modulated drumming by Royston that makes the music ebb and flow unpredictably. The general mood of the disc is wistful and pensive, as befits someone on the cusp of big changes, but the trio channels whatever anxiety McCarthy might be feeling into some lovely and distinctive playing, including three compositions that serve as interludes between more developed tunes. The uptempo Go Berserk is a feature for Royston’s dynamic drumming, ably shadowed by Morgan’s simple bass lines and McCarthy’s clouds of notes. Goodnight Sweet Cat, which concludes the program, is simple and low-key and utterly beautiful. A Place Where We Once Lived is a pleasure from start to finish, and is heartily recommended. 

Cat & Turtle no#; Dan McCarthy (vib) Thomas Morgan (b) Rudy Royston (d); February 27, 2019; Sonder/ Trail Marker/ A Short Story About Birds/ Cloud Hopping/ A Place Where We Once Lived/ A Short Story About Distance/ Desert Roads (For Gary Burton)/ I’m Your Pal/ Sombre Sleep/ A Short Story About Quiet/ Go Berserk/ Goodnight Sweet Cat; 55:20. www.vibraphonedan.com