Midweek pick, September 4th, 2024: Gauci, Lane & Shea bring their thrilling live game to the studio
Stephen Gauci/Adam Lane/Kevin Shea: Live at Scholes Street Studio (gaucimusic)
Stephen Gauci: tenor saxophone/clarinet
Adam Lane: double bass
Kevin Shea: drums
Since 2019, New York based tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Stephen Gauci has really taken to Bandcamp, releasing a steady stream of digital only albums on the platform through his own gaucimusic (all lower case) label. All live, as far as I’ve been able to tell, recorded either in front of an audience or “live in studio”.
One of the most frequently featured groups on his Bandcamp page is his trio with double bassist Adam Lane and drummer Kevin Shea, who have performed together as a group since 2017 (and at the time of writing is on tour in Europe). Their most recent release is Live at Scholes Street Studio!, and it’s a great document of a thrilling, freewheeling trio.
I’ve been a huge fan of Lane both as a bassist and a composer (his Ashcan Rantings is easily one of my favorite albums of the 2010s), and am equally fond of Shea’s work, particularly on the early albums by Mostly Other People Do the Killing.
Gauci is a fascinating musician in his own right, with a tone that is full yet not overpowering he plays lines that may start off fairly straight forward, but often start to wander, surveying the terrain, as on the terrific opening improvisation. There are circular motifs, sharp stabs, a couple of woozy turns, and quick flights with some added squawks. Lane plays with his characteristic and gripping combination of brawn and dexterity, giving the music a flowing momentum, and adds some gentle arco work and the occasional effect pedal for spice. She brings his peculiar sense of whimsy and off kilter beats to the mix.
I won’t claim I’ve listened to all the available Gauci/Lane/Shea recordings thoroughly, but I can say this one grabbed me upon its first virtual spin, and has been listened to frequently since. As a fan of physical media, and one who treasures those occasions when I can put my laptop on phone away and enjoy music the “old school” way, I’m hoping they’ll release a CD and/or LP some time in the not too distant future, too.