King Comfy by Tim Carman Trio

From the first notes of King Comfy, Tim Carman Trio play jazz like it was supposed to be played: hot, sweaty, and a damn good time. Recorded in one day on the floor of The Record Co. in Boston MA, this LP opens up the door to what jazz is really all about. “Jazz doesn’t have to be so academic. It can be a party. It doesn’t have to be about playing a million complicated notes that only schooled musicians would enjoy. I went in focusing on groove, sound, and simplicity,” says bandleader/ drummer Tim Carman (GA-20). That’s exactly what the listener gets from this trio: straightforward grooves with a sound that blows the roof off the joint. Drawing inspiration from notables such as Big John Patton, Brother Jack McDuff, Babyface Willette, and Freddie Roach, they open the door to a very special party that we’re all invited to. In fact, it’s a ten-track jazz party that’s swinging, upbeat, and funky as hell.

Consisting of eight original songs and two covers, the entire record itself gives off a live feel. Tim Carman Trio could be playing at Club Mozambique, The Lighthouse, The Cliche Lounge, The Front Room, or any jazz club on the circuit during the late sixties or early seventies, but they’re playing in your living room right here in the present day, and you’ve got a front row seat. On this record, as with their freshman Keylime LP, the trio did not rehearse before the sessions. They would figure out a tune and cut it in one or two takes. It’s about the process, old and new. TC3 does a top-notch job of preserving a style while adding their own feel from start to finish.

With Tim Carman on drums, Ken Clark on organ, and Steve Fell on guitar, these three accomplished musicians have done more than release a jazz record, finding and perfecting a formula that most can not even buy. They’ve put together an homage to the true essence of great jazz music, one that the aforementioned greats would be proud of. King Comfy pays respect to the past and is a real jazz party, just like it should be.

The Tim Carman Trio, formed in 2020 by Boston based drummer Tim Carman, is no-frills, timeless, B3 organ trio jazz. Inspired by 60s icons like Big John Patton, Jimmy Smith, Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, and Grant Green—Carman (drums), Clark (organ), and Fell (guitar) harken back to an age of honest, unpolished, musical interaction.