Adam Levy's Spry Trio w/ JT Bates & Chris Bates

In the Spring of 2022, guitarist Adam Levy set out to write and record the “jazz album of his dreams”. He wanted it to feature a fresh batch of original tunes, and he’d need to marshal a rhythm section that could swing, simmer, and shade.

His first call was to double-bassist Larry Grenadier, best known for his tenure in Brad Mehldau’s mercurial trio. Next, Levy reached out to drummer Joey Baron. (Levy was a member of Baron’s late-’90s quartet Killer Joey.) Before signing on to this project, Baron nudged Levy: “There’s going to be some blues, right? I always love the way you play the blues!” Levy assured Baron, and began writing the music that would fill up this album — now dubbed Spry.

With the smoldering melancholy of “Mitchum” and “And They All Sang”, Levy brought enough blues to satisfy Baron — though that’s not the only mood here.…