The music on Corduroy – drummer Matt Mayhall’s third album as a leader and his first for PJCE Records since relocating to Portland from Los Angeles – has the urgency of a first meeting, and indeed serves as a document of the first time Mayhall, saxophonist Peter Epstein and bassist Sam Minaie convened in a studio as a trio.
The chemistry of the trio is evident throughout. The tunes are varied in their approach, but the depth in the level of communication between the three master musicians remains constant. Epstein, Minaie, and Mayhall are all adept at improvisational music that floats and flows like it does on the opener, “Waltz” and their unique interpretation of Ellington’s classic, “Come Sunday.” But they also display a knack for grooving as they do on numbers like the easy-swingin’ “Petrichor” and the hypnotic “Dumb Melody.” The musicians push and pull together in such a way that it is clear the rapport and shared musical language on Corduroy has been in the making for quite some time.
Mayhall and Minaie have been based on opposite coasts for most of their careers, but they were both raised in Reno, NV and spent their formative years as a package deal rhythm team. The two were students in music at the University Of Nevada Reno in 2001 when they took a summer trip together to New York City to attend an intensive workshop hosted by The School for Improvisational Music. There they met Epstein, a founding member and instructor at SIM. A year later, Epstein found himself in Reno as the new instructor of jazz saxophone at UNR after a whirlwind 10 years on the Brooklyn scene.
Epstein began his career in 1984 in Portland, where he apprenticed with many of the region’s top jazz artists until relocating to Los Angeles to study at California Institute Of The Arts and eventually landing in Brooklyn, NY. Epstein is known for his work with artists like Brad Shepik, Ralph Alessi, Bobby Previte, James Carney, Joao Paulo, Jim Black, Scott Colley, Ravi Coltrane, Medeski, Martin, & Wood, Peter Erskine, and many others. He has recorded eight critically acclaimed albums as a leader/collaborator.
With Epstein as their mentor, Mayhall and Minaie were introduced to a brand of improvising and on-the-bandstand training most would assume could only be found at an East Coast conservatory. Inspired by Epstein and the rich musical landscape he inhabited, Mayhall and Minaie were eventually accepted into the renowned MFA program in Jazz Studies at Cal Arts founded by the legendary bassist Charlie Haden. Each have since gone on to play and record with some of the most revered figures in improvised music.
Matt Mayhall has been characterized by Modern Drummer Magazine as an artist who “rolls his diverse skills into one, untidy, rumbling package.” He has performed and/or recorded with an eclectic range of world-renowned artists, including Jeff Parker, Chris Speed, Aimee Mann, Ethan Iverson, Ted Leo, Fred Armisen, and Charlie Haden. He now calls Portland home after nearly 20 years of work in Los Angeles.
Sam Minaie is based in New York City. He has toured and recorded with Tigran Hamasyan, Kneebody, Donny McCaslin, Dhafer Youssef, Jeff Ballard, Nate Wood, Mark Guiliana, Patti Austin, Melody Gardot, Tootie Heath, Jean-Michel Pilc, Ari Hoenig, Shai Maestro, Ben Wendel and numerous others. As a producer and post production engineer, Sam has mixed and mastered dozens of records and is the founder of birdFood Studio in NYC.
After talking about making a record for almost twenty years, these three old friends finally came together for two sessions over two days in New York at Minaie’s home studio, and the result is an album each player considers among their best work to date.
Album Details
Artist: Matt Mayhall
Title: Corduroy
Personnel: Matt Mayhall, drums; Peter Epstein, saxophone; Sam Minaie, bass
Track listing: Run time:
Waltz 4:36
Petrichor 5:16
Dumb Melody 4:48
Tapestry 2:46
Corduroy 5:44
Honor Band 4:02
TV Baby 7:00
Come Sunday 4:49
Total Run Time 39:00
Composer Credits:
1, 5 by Sam Minaie
2, 4 by Peter Epstein
3, 7 by Matt Mayhall
6 by Mayhall/Epstein/Minaie
8 by Duke Ellington
Recorded by Sam Minaie
Mixed by Sam Minaie
Recorded at birdFood Studios, NYC
Recording date: November 2022
Mastered by: Sam Minaie
Executive Producer: Ryan Meagher
Art by Tiny Little Hammers
PJCER 065
