Plunge: Tin Fish Tango

If I were to tell you that the New Orleans jazz trio Plunge were adding a few musical guests on their new album Tin Fish Tango, you are likely to think “oh, did those guys break down and get themselves a drummer?” And you would be wrong! For lots of groove-oriented jazz, such a thought would be like courting disaster. But the good press that came with last year’s Dancing on Thin Ice secured Plunge’s future as a trio could easily do without a percussionist. Tin Fish Tango has ten compositions, three improvisations that could pass for carefully constructed compositions, and guest performances by saxophonist Tom Fitzpatrick and tuba player Kirk Joseph (who matches with bassist James Singleton particularly well). Throw in trombonist Mark McGrain’s ability to spin a catchy melody into a tune, and you’ve got yourself a quality release. I recommend you get into Plunge before they cave and hire a drummer.