On January 16, 7:00 pm, Gordon Johnson will release his new CD TRIOS Version 3.0  (Click here to read review by Andrea Canter) at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant. The jazz piano trio is a time-tested format, and one that is superbly honored on TRIOS Version 3.0. A first-call jazz bassist in the Twin Cities, Johnson crafted the new release over a period of two years, working with impeccable pianists and drummers in a variety of styles. The resulting ten tracks run from originals to Tin Pan Alley, bossa nova to Euro-flair, ballad to blues. And it's all Gordy Johnson-style - adventurous, driving, inspiring. On piano, TRIOS Version 3.0 features Giacomo Aula, Matthew Fries, Jon Weber and Benny Weinbeck. On drums are Jay Epstein, Steve Gadd, Phil Hey and Joe Pulice. Joining Gordy Johnson for the CD release show at the Dakota are Chicago-based piano master Jon Weber and the Twin Cities own Joe Pulice on drums. Other TRIOS collaborators are sure to drop by and sit in.

As a bass player, Gordon Johnson is a list-maker's dream. There are the world tours with names like Maynard Ferguson, Gene Bertoncini, Roy Buchanan, the CBS All Stars and Chuck Mangione. There are the recordings as sideman, over 150 at last count, from jazz (Jimmy Hamilton, Lucia Newell, etc.) to blues/R&B (Buchanan, Doug Maynard) to bluegrass (Becky Schlegel) to folk (Greg Brown, Arlo Guthrie). Network television appearances run the gamut from the Merv Griffin Show to Soul Train. But more important is the list of adjectives that undeniably apply to Johnson: fluid, smart, tasteful, complimentary and complete, to name just a few. With TRIOS Version 3.0, Gordon Johnson continues to compile a list of outstanding accomplishments as bandleader.

TRIOS Version 3.0 is the third in a series of piano trio CDs by Gordon Johnson. All recorded over the past 10 years, the predecessors Trios (1996) and TRIOS V.2 (2002) also featured an intriguing and inventive lineup of players with stunning results. Describing the first Trios CD, JazzTimes magazine said, "The results of this simple format are hardly simplistic . . . these trios remind us that with back to the basics, less can be more."

TRIOS Version 3.0 is the splendid result of serendipity and plan. Whether in the studio or on stage, Gordy is on the watch for combinations of players to contribute to the series. Pianists Jon Weber and Giacomo Aula, an Italian-raised resident of Berlin with a decidedly European style, caught Gordy's attention while they were performing at the Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival. In the case of Steve Gadd, Gordy had known the legendary drummer for years and arranged for a session when Gadd was in the Twin Cities on a James Taylor tour. Matthew Fries was headed to town on tour with Stacey Kent. Gordy considered that a high endorsement of the pianist and set up a session with Fries and drummer Phil Hey before the three had ever played a note together. From circumstance to song selection (including originals by Aula and Benny Weinbeck), each title on TRIOS Version 3.0 has its own story. What's more, each track tells its own story; Gordon Johnson-style.

For more information, please visit www.dakotacooks.com and Gordy's website at www.tonalities.com.