In one of the previous articles, I said that I’m not a big fan of show-off techniques and empty virtuosity. But when it is combined with an excellent groove and a superb interplay, then it is a pleasure to listen to. What you have in front of you, is a trio consisting of two Ukrainian musicians, Paul Kholodyansky on drums and Jay Stave on bass, complemented by the extraordinary Russian keyboardist Valeriy Stepanov. They covered “The Chicken”, a composition written by jazz saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, and made famous by the legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius, through his version on the live album “The Birthday Concert,” recorded in 1981 but released posthumously in 1995. Since then it has become a jazz funk standard, which these three guys from Eastern Europe turned into a super-fast, virtuosic piece. In the seven+ minutes, everyone has a solo act, showing their mastery of the instruments, but the fascinating aspect is the interplay between them. They groove very well together, besides the fact that the rhythm section recorded the bass and drums two years earlier, with Stepanov adding the keyboards later. Enjoy!
