This is young drummer Eric Binder’s third CD since he arrived in 2014. As he did on his 2018 The Malcolm Cecil Project, he works with a sax-drum-bass configuration, this time featuring Walter Smith III on tenor and Petros Klampanis on bass for Hard Bop. Usually, these kind of trio albums are led by the saxophonist (or, maybe those Sonny Rollins trio live recordings at the Village Vanguard just made an indelible impression). There are others too. Coltrane sometimes played this way, Joe Lovano often does now, as well as altoists Sonny Simmons and Kenny Garrett, among others. So, it’s not rare; it’s just rare having the drummer as a leader. Yet, even at an early age, Dr. Eric Binder is a globally recognized drummer, educator, composer, and author, currently residing in Chicago but born and raised in New York. He’s known for his unique approach to drums and deep respect for the lineage and tradition of jazz music. Case in point, his 2018 album centered on bop standards while this one moves into the next era, hard bop.
Hard Bop is Binder’s third trio album and he has a duo album as well. This is a very brief musical listen, clocking in at well under 30 minutes. Unlike his previous album which focused on covers, these are Binder compositions, two of which date to his 2014 debut quartet album Off the Beaten Path. They are “Blues Jawn” and “Metallic Sky. The former is perhaps the truest hard bop idiom piece, imbued by Smith III’s lyrical solo, Klampanis’ walking bass, and Binder’s solo and insistent beats. Yet, in every tune with Smith III in the lead, Binder’s drumming answers his phrases, often developing a certain flair that Smith III picks up on to further his improvisational solos, the prime example of which is “BFTF” which has a turn for all three as Klampanis takes a lyrical solo, with a few nods from Binder. The trio doesn’t always play at a fast tempo; in fact, most pieces are very restrained and “To Be Alone,” befitting its title, is essentially a ballad, with subtle dialogue between the three. Smith III takes flight on “Metallic Sky” with Binder’s rolling, skittering snare work propelling him on before the leader steps in with his most extensive solo on the disc. Let the disc repeat and “Trane Ride” seems like an extension of the last track, although Binder uses more of his arsenal and Klampanis becomes more prominent.
As a composer, Eric Binder specializes in small group compositions but has written works for solo piano, voice, big band, and many others. In 2016, he was chosen as a finalist for the BMI Future Jazz Master’s composer competition. Prior to his graduate studies in Jazz, Binder was a busy classical percussionist, where he participated in wind ensemble, percussion ensemble, orchestral, and other chamber groups. Furthermore, Binder is a new author, recently publishing his first two books, “An Introduction to Bebop Drumming- A Concise Historical Overview and Practical Exercises,” and “10 Snare Drum Etudes for Improvisation- Rudimental Snare Drum Etudes Featuring Jazz Vocabulary.” He is currently working on other publications set to release early 2020. His book “10 Snare Drum Etudes for Improvisation” was voted #3 in the 2020 Modern Drummer Magazine Readers Poll. Binder maintains an active involvement in studying the history and development of the modern drum set with a special focus on the correlation between the development of the equipment and the development of the drumming style/music.
As is the case with most trios of this nature, all three players are bandleaders too. Walter Smith III is one of the most active saxophonists on today’s scene. He is the Chair of the Woodwind Department at the Berklee College of Music and is a notable composer. In addition to performing with his own group, Smith is a member of the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet and Eric Harland‘s Voyager. He regularly plays and records with Taylor Eigsti, Christian Scott, Logan Richardson, Kendrick Scott, Aaron Parks, Warren Wolf, and others. Smith has released five albums as leader: Casually Introducing (2006), Live in Paris (2009), III (2010), Still Casual (2014), and Twio (2018). In addition, he has released two as a co-leader with guitarist Matt Stevens – In Common (2018) and In Common 2 which we reviewed on these pages last month.
Petros Klampanis is an award-winning bassist. Klampanis has collaborated with world-acclaimed artists such as Snarky Puppy, Greg Osby, Jaques Morelenbaum, Shai Maestro, Gilad Hekselman, Ari Hoenig, Jean-Michel Pilc and more. His third album, Chroma, was awarded as the best Live album of 2017, by the Independent Music Awards and was featured in major international radio and press outlets. Since 2011, he has recorded four albums as a leader. His debut album was Contextual and is second album Minor Dispute was selected as one of the best jazz records in 2015 by NPR (National Public Radio USA). Back in his country, Greece, Klampanis’ work is highly acclaimed. His music has been performed by Greek Public Symphonic Orchestra and by MOYSA the Symphonic Youth Orchestra of Thessaloniki. His fourth album, a trio set, Irrationalities, was released in October 2019 to high acclaim.
In addition to his duties as Assistant Band Director at Robert Morris University, Dr. Binder serves on the faculty at Waubonsee Community College as the Jazz Director and at City Colleges of Chicago’s Harold Washington campus as a private lesson instructor. He gigs and records regularly around the country. Dr. Binder frequently gives clinics and masterclasses as well.
Clearly these are three masterful musicians at the top of their game.
