Album Review: Clement Kovalcheck Hamar from Dawn Clement, Steve Kovalcheck, and Jon Hamar

Album: Clement Kovalcheck Hamar
Artist: Clement/Kovalcheck/Hamar Trio
Label:  Self-Released
Websites:  www.dawnclement.com
https://www.kovalcheckmusic.com/
https://jonhamar.com/

The drummerless trio of pianist Dawn Clement, guitarist Steve Kovalcheck, and bass player Jon Hamar demonstrate a charming rapport that highlights their lyrical sensibilities and penchant for harmonious motifs, comprised of improvised turns and wayfaring musings.  The trio's latest release Clement Kovalcheck Hamar indulges their exploratory natures with all original compositions, probing and traversing in a winsome spirit as they form melodic patterns that send them wandering merrily.

From the complex entanglements of "Blind" and the somber passages of "Spirit Spin" to the elegant soundscapes of "Lazy Dragon" and the balmy rhumba flare of "Paseo del Mar," the trio's sense of rhythm keeps the listener engaged.  The bebop pulse of "Hard Ball" is steep in traditional back and forth exchanges, seguing into the serene ambience of "Clarity."  Returning to a Latin swing shimmer along “It’s About Time,” as the trio merges these two influences with an adroit penmanship.

The reflective mood portrayed in "The Meadow Is An Ocean" is a penetrative piece, as the glistening chimes of Clement's keys contour the pulsating beats of Hamar's bass and the bowing riffs of Kovalcheck's guitar chords. The frolicking stride in Clement's keys drive the melodic movements of "Tree Hugger," as the gentle inflections of Kovalcheck's guitar and Hamar's bass infuse the tune with soothing effects.

Whimsical and harmonious, the trio wanders off into sprawling improvisations and picturesque soundscapes.  The world which Clement, Kovalcheck and Hamar create holds the listener engrossed in their exchanges and entangling voices.

Musicians:
Dawn Clement - piano
Steve Kovalcheck - guitar
Jon Hamar - bass