Ron Miles

Local trumpeter Ron Miles and former Denver native Bill Frisell have performed and recorded together on a number of occasions, but they've only teamed up with drummer Brian Blade a handful of times. One of the reasons this trio works so well is that its members share certain sensibilities, and here their lyrical playing is beautifully understated, especially on the original Miles ballad "Queen B" and Henry Mancini's "Days of Wine and Roses," one of three live cuts on Quiver that were recorded at Dazzle last year. There's some peppy, angular interplay on the opener, "Bruise," while "Mr. Kevin" and "Just Married" fit quite well with Frisell's twangy Americana-meets-jazz aesthetic. Let's hope this is the first of many recordings by these three.