There is something intimate about listening to a jazz trio. It’s easier to hear the conversation, to sort of eavesdrop on the various players’ moods and feelings. And trios have a nice airy quality about them, so even when they rock out, there is space to breathe. The counterpoint is more apparent, and it bounces around in your head. The rhythms are more important in the equation, because two-thirds of the band are dedicated to it. That in turn puts the lead, in this case Ron Levit’s guitar, under a lot of pressure to develop new ideas and crate dramatic scenes to layer over the beat.
Levit’s guitar work comes in all kinds of flavors here - from crisp, clean jazz to Miles Davis fuzzy-fusion. He’s a remarkably accomplished player, but occasionally his riffs come of as showy and quick. I give him credit for being able to do it, but it doesn’t add any real depth to the music. Sometimes it sounds as if a computer is playing his part; it’s so rapid, precise and perfect, it gives the songs a cold feeling.
Still, with his gifted talents, occasionally this record comes close or hits the right mark. “Singularity” is a fine up-tempo song, with a clear tone and a catchy rhythm, even if it’s not really that original. “M-Dive” is distorted fusion with a challenging rhythmic structure, squeezed it into a more accessible musical form. “The Undoing (for Jaya)” gets the foot tapping at least, and the ambient wash of “Waiting in Vain” is casually enjoyable. But unfortunately, most of the time Uncertain Path doesn’t really get off the ground.
The slow tunes come off as sort of new agey, which I find off putting. And sadly they account for the majority of the album. “After You (for Elaine)” has that quality. It’s much too square and much, much too long. Though my real problem with the record is it really doesn’t swing. It has some virtuoso playing and interesting rhythms, but it just sits grooveless on the tracks, as if waiting for a train to come. It never does. Even so, I wouldn’t rule out seeing this trio live. The studio leaves them sounding sterile, but that’s nothing a few beers won’t fix. Of course that could throw off Levit’s speed a bit, but that wouldn’t be any loss.
