Andrew Bird Trio Sunday Morning Put-On LP

Inspired by a lifetime of listening to jazz + woodshedding, Andrew Bird on his 2024 album Sunday Morning Put-On presents his take on the Great American Songbook. The Andrew Bird Trio features Ted Poor (drums) and Alan Hampton (bass), and transcends nostalgia, pushing Bird's limits as an improviser. Replacing saxophones with violin solos and showcasing Andrew's signature vocal prowess, the trio reimagines jazz standards completely live in Southern California's legendary Valentine Studios.

Hampton and Poor are unobtrusive while adding plenty of shade and color to the performances, and Bird's violin work is suburb, coaxing an evocative tone that moves past the traditional approach to the instrument. He gives it a dark, smoky voice that beautifully complements the sweet sadness of his vocals, which suggest he's been listening to a lot of great jazz vocalists and learning from the experience... For the finale, Bird unveils 'Ballon de Peut-Etre,' a nine-minute instrumental piece that recalls a very different story of jazz; it's the sort of extended piece that walks the middle ground between the adventure of be-bop and the feel of cool jazz of the '50s. If it stands out from the other tracks, it shows Bird is in touch with the improvisational heart of post-war jazz, and it's a bold but satisfying conclusion to an LP that reminds us just how quietly brilliant Andrew Bird can be.