The Dave Palmer Trio unite for a new album that proves just how timeless the jazz trio can be. With Palmer on piano, Reggie Hamilton on bass, and Joey Waronker on drums, the record shines with a vintage Bechstein piano at its heart, setting the tone for an elegant yet unpretentious collection of 12 tracks. There’s an immediate chemistry between the players, just three musicians with very different backgrounds who manage to find a shared love in jazz.
What stands out is how carefully considered these pieces feel. Palmer keeps the focus on the music itself, shaping songs around melody and rhythm instead of drawn-out solos. There are hints of Ellington and Ahmad Jamal in the way the music combines detail with an easy swing, keeping things clear and uncluttered. Palmer calls the album “the beginning of an evolution of sound,” and it feels like the first step in what could become an ongoing collaboration.
A track like “Duke’s Blues” brings the trio’s ethos into focus. Its accompanying video, directed by David Slade, pairs the music with AI-generated dog clips in stark black and white, resulting in a strange but oddly fitting contrast that underlines the band’s willingness to play with tradition while keeping things fresh. And while this might be their first outing as a trio, the players are hardly new faces: Palmer’s worked with Fiona Apple and Fleetwood Mac, Hamilton with Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, and Waronker (when he’s not recording) is currently out on the road drumming for Oasis’ Live ’25 Tour. Together, they’ve made a debut that feels assured, classy, and quietly daring.
Connect with Dave Palmer: Instagram
Connect with Reggie Hamilton: Instagram
Connect with Joey Waronker: Instagram
