What am I doing playing more often than Bruno Hubert?

Bruno Hubert played a release concert for his new album on Cellar titled Fire Waltz at Frankie's on June 24, 2024. Joining him that night were André Lachance on bass and Joe Poole on drums, while the album has James Meger on bass instead of Lachance.

Produced by Keith MacLachlan here in Vancouver, Fire Waltz had an Indiegogo campaign behind it in 2023, which I backed. Although the campaign raised less than 50% of the stated goal, the funding went through – unlike Kickstarter, where your project is conditional on hitting your goal – and MacLachlan reported all systems go. "While this is not as much as we were shooting for it is still a success", he wrote in an update on October 6, 2023. "I am pleased to tell you that with the money raised so far and from other ongoing fundraising activities, we can continue with this project and move on to the recording sessions as per our schedule." Some top Indiegogo backers have credits as "associate producers" on the album.

Before recording in October 2023, the trio played at Frankie's in August as well as Brentwood Jazz Evensong and La Fabrique St-George in September. En route to release, day, they played Jazz at the Bolt in February, Frankie's again in March, and Fabrique again in April with Lachance on bass (the other dates all being with Meger).

Even with all those gigs, plus a couple more as a sideman with Brad Turner among others, it strikes me: Hubert had fewer shows on the gig list through this timespan than I did. Who do I think I am? We ought to treasure every chance we get to hear him, especially now that those chances don't come, as they did when I was coming up, every night at the Libra Room on the drive.

I have a reflection for you on Hubert's newly-released body of work that combines what I heard at last month's jazzfest concert along with what I hear on the album now.

It's the lyrical, precise phrases from Lachance that define the trio's performance of "Golden Earrings" on the gig, and likewise Meger's playing on the album evokes Wilbur Ware or other meaty straight-ahead bassists. Here's one of the biggest distinctions, though. On the gig, Poole's snare drum is as dynamic as always, going from a quiet fury to loud pops. He jumps right into pauses attentively and uses volume to ignite the trio. But on the album, even the most vigorous snare comping gets mixed to a subtle level. That's the magic of mixing.

To set up "I Fall in Love Too Easily", Hubert said from the stage, "That's the story of my life... everyone's life." The straight-up waltz reminded me of how Hubert used to fill a set or two or three at Pat's Pub on his circa-2010s trio dates. After establishing tension, Hubert streams up and down the piano's high register while his trio-mates increase or release the tension as they wish.

"I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face", as a samba that just happens to become ”All Blues” for a bit, amazes me for one reason in particular. This record is a de facto home recording. Sure, it's a beautifully-engineered capture on a great piano in a lovely Vancouver home, but you can definitely still call it a record made in a home as opposed to a studio. Truly Sheldon Zaharko in his bag at the controls.

This trio plays "Simone" from Get Out of Town, the earliest and best-known Hubert trio album on Cellar. It rolls on with those right-hand double stops like many of my favourite cuts from that album, which would include the opener "Cost of Living", "The Man I Love", and the waltz-ballad "For Dan".

"Fire Waltz", the title track’s chiming sounds provide the most Bill Evans Trio-like mood. "You and the Night and the Music" apparently comes with the Denzal Sinclaire arrangement from Sinclaire's Verve Records self-titled album, on which Hubert plays. Just like my on-air confession about Pugs and Crows, I've yet to hear that album and feel some shame about it.

“Con Alma” has more classic left-hand Hubert stuff. To add spice to the album, the pianist moves to the shaker. Meger's solo starts off sounding like late Ray Brown then flashes his more freewheeling sensibility.

Charles Mingus' “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” appears in G minor with an expressive arrangement. “Edda” is a fast waltz by Wayne Shorter. Poole’s time is the law, Meger evenly matches it; whereas on the gig, Lachance also propels the time. Hubert's vamp for the album cut is different than the one on this Lee Morgan record. Other than that, the groove he creates is a great match for the source material, even if the albums' production styles are different:

They also play Shorter's “Sincerely Diana”, as played by the Jazz Messengers, but they depart more from the source. What was an undisputed hard-bopping good time transforms, like a soul sample that becomes a downtempo beat in the hands of a hip hop producer.

The second set at Frankie's last month began on "With a Song in My Heart", and at that time, I had to do what I did all festival long: leave a show to catch another one. In this case, I was blessed to hear both Hubert and Sharon Minemoto lead trios downtown on the same night, but I admit that I missed the warm feeling of Hubert's trio for the whole five-block walk between the venues.