THE HENRY HEY TRIO
The piano trio is one of the most pure and elemental ensembles in jazz. It offers unique challenges and opportunities for composition and performance in improvising music. I’m proud to present my return to this storied format with the release of my latest trio recording:
Henry Hey trio: ri-metos
Henry Hey - Piano
Joe Martin - Bass
Jochen Rueckert - Drums
The cohesive set features a quirk atmosphere; this is not cookie-cutter piano trio stuff. Hey's trio creates music that is by turns playful and serious, vibrant and laid back, and always intelligent.
- Dan McLenaghan, ALL ABOUT JAZZ
Trio: ri-metos is a cut above many piano trio releases. . . It is music that rewards focused listening; there are no casual performances present.
- Ken Dryden - NYC Jazz Record
Hey's fleet, poised solos, as well as his rapport with bassist Joe Martin & drummer Jochen Rueckert. . . affirm his command of the post-bop jazz vernacular.
- Bill Meyer, Downbeat
Trio: Ri-metos’ is (Hey's) second piano trio album, and it is an exceptionally fine record. . . many of the tracks have a song-like quality. It makes the album easily accessible, without being superficial at all.
- Herman te Loo - Jazz Flits, NL
ABOUT THE ALBUM TITLE
The Marshall Islands, situated in the eastern Pacific ocean, are separated by many miles of open sea. As such, navigating purely by line of sight is impossible. As early as 2000 BC, Micronesian inhabitants developed a miraculous method of navigation by observing the direction, reflection, and refraction of ocean waves. With this system, they could determine where other islands would lie and where the ocean depths would change, even with no land in sight. They would then create what became known as stick charts, such as the one pictured on the cover of this recording, as a document of the observed wave patterns. A wave pilot, or Ri-Meto, might train for several years to master this craft and then would pass this skill on to an apprentice from the next generation. As a sailor, the tale of the Ri-Metos has always fascinated me, but as an artist and human living in what some might call ‘strange times’, these formidable sea voyagers have taken on a deeper significance. We move forward to create art that is meaningful to us, and to trust in our passion and joy to lead us onward.