Blue Whale Review

Erik Jensen over at Thoughts from down in LA wrote up a kind review of the Tom Rizzo Trio from our gig at the Blue Whale Jazz Club in March. Check us out again at the Blue Whale on Thursday, May 13 at 9 pm.

Rizzo is a seasoned writer and his strong compositions focused the band’s identity and sound. His guitar playing has a playful, uplifting feel. He is a modern, straight-ahead guitarist with fluid single note and chordal chops. His lines are melodic and he builds his solos well, developing thematic ideas and directing the energy of the band. I enjoyed his use of harmonics and at one point he played a comping figure that sounded like a Brazilian berimbau. It was great. Rizzo’s “straight into the amp” tone was warm and present. His sound sat perfectly in the room between the bass and percussion.