A curious thing happens when you’re a reviewer and your name lands on enough mailing lists: music starts showing up that you never asked for—and often never heard of. Me being me, I give these unexpected arrivals a spin, because every now and then, one of them turns out to be a real surprise.
One such surprise arrived on CD from Chill Tone Records: Sub Rosa, the new album by the Julian Shore Trio. It’s an exceptionally good modern jazz record, steeped in the hushed vibe of late-1950s Miles Davis and Bill Evans, yet infused with its own distinct character—something subtle but special that sets it apart.
I suspect that special something comes from Julian Shore’s deep connection with his bandmates—bassist Martin Nevin and drummer Allan Mednard—and the effortless swing they create together. It’s that elusive loose-tight chemistry that only comes from countless hours of rehearsals, live shows, and life on the road.
These like-minded musicians had me hooked from the first notes. I didn’t even glance at the track listing or press release—until a particularly familiar melody came on that made my jaw drop and sent a jolt of adrenaline through me.
I can’t say with certainty that no one has done this before—I certainly hope others have tried—but as far as I can recall, this is the first time I’ve heard a genuine jazz interpretation built around a Brian Wilson composition. And not just any song—it’s a key track from Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys’ groundbreaking 1966 masterpiece.
Imagine if Bill Evans had arranged “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulders)” for his legendary trio with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian at the Village Vanguard. That’s the kind of territory we’re in here—rich, understated, and emotionally resonant. It works beautifully, drawing out the aching depth in Wilson’s bluesy chord structures.
It’s gorgeous.
I haven’t been this excited about a pianist’s approach to the instrument since I first heard Brad Mehldau’s brilliant reworkings of Radiohead—or more recently, Vijay Iyer’s stunning interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed.” The moment I heard it, I knew I was in the presence of real musical magic.
Hear it for yourself in this YouTube clip:
Mr. Shore already has quite an impressive background, so he’s far from an overnight sensation. From his official press release we learn:
Pianist Julian Shore is known for his “deep maturity as a composer and bandleader” (DownBeat). Based in New York, Shore has become one of the city’s most sought-after pianists. He has performed with artists as varied as John Patitucci, Gretchen Parlato, George Garzone, Theo Bleckmann, Chico Pinheiro, Chris Speed, Sara Gazarek, Caroline Davis, Noah Preminger, Dave Stryker, Don Braden, säje, among many others. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center and major venues and festivals across Europe, Asia and South America. As an educator, Shore remains active in a variety of settings. He was an artistic consultant for Herbie Hancock’s Master Class for masterclass.com, and transcribed and notated hundreds of pages of Hancock’s piano performance for the course. He teaches privately at the New School, through the New York Jazz Academy, and has presented workshops and master classes at universities and performance venues across the globe.
I suspect we’ll be hearing much more from Julian Shore and his band in the future. I do hope to get Sub Rosa on vinyl at some point and if I do I’ll be sure to update this review accordingly. As CDs go, Sub Rosa sounds like a wonderful well made recording at its root.
For now I’ll close this review with a few sage words culled from Brian Wilson’s song:
“listen, listen, listen….”
You can buy The Julian Shore Trio’s new album Sub Rosa from their Bandcamp page (click here) including on vinyl LP for $30 and the CD for $15. There is also a high-res 24-bit/8kHz download available for just $9! Support independent artists!
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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