Geoffrey Keezer Releases “Live at Birdland” with John Patitucci – No Treble

Geoffrey Keezer: Live at Birdland

Pianist and composer Geoffrey Keezer has released Live at Birdland, which marks his first live trio album in 15 years. The performances were captured during a three-night run at the legendary New York jazz club.

Keezer was joined by drummer Clarence Penn and bassist John Patitucci for the affair, where they focused on performing the music of Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea.

“They are two of my musical heroes and kind of also human heroes,” says Keezer. “I loved that both of them were youthful, almost childlike, in how they approached life. Even though they were doing incredible works of art and creating very complex music, they never took themselves too seriously. They always had a great sense of humor.”

Keezer recorded with Corea early in his career and got to sub in Shorter’s band in 2009. Patitucci’s relationship with the two jazz masterminds ran deep, recording many albums with both.

“John knows Wayne and Chick’s music probably better than anyone else, having worked with each of them for 20 years a piece,” Keezer says.

Patitucci plays both upright bass and electric on the album. The digital version of Live at Birdland features the track “Virgo Rising – Cathay,” which combines Shorter’s compositions “High Life” and “Joy Ryder.” The arrangement makes it a feature of the six-string electric bass.