author: Marcus Nilsson
A really good album that keeps growing on me. It started with "Dear old Stockholm" and "Judicious blues" that made me buy it. The rest of the tunes are good as well, especially "Tides" wich also have a kind of Scandinavian folksy feel to it. Great dynamics between the players and it swings hard!
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author: Jeff Potter, Modern Drummer Magazine
The debut from the drummer-led BEN HANS Trio, Drums! Bass! Guitar!, shows taste, technique, and a flair for the classic. Hans swings with assured economy, buoying the equally talented Jeff Schroedl (guitar) and Mark Solveson (bass)."
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author: Terry O'Mahoney, Percussive Notes, October, 2004
Drummer Ben Hans leads his traditionally-oriented jazz trio, which includes Jeff Schroedl on guitar and Mark Solveson on bass, through ten original and jazz standards on Drums Bass Guitar. Hans comes from a straight-ahead jazz background and has a nice swing feel, good jazz cymbol sound and plays will-constructed solos. He covers the jazz spectrum with such tunes as the swinging "Dear Old Stockholm," Latin/swing "Light Sleeper" and "Apache Pass." "Tides" and "Falling In Love With Love" are elegant waltzes that showcase Hans' brush playing. Hans solos on most of the tunes, including his original compositions "Judicious Blues" and "Madeline's Tune." John Coltrane's classic "Naima" is given a straight-eighth-note interpretation, and "Ben's Hands" shows off Hans' mallet work on drumset. The only distracting aspect of the recording is an incessant tambourine track on "Madeline's Tune" that really put a damper on a good tune."
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author: Patrick Fineran, the Racine Journal Times, February 19, 2004
"What can I say about the Ben Hans Trio? For starters, I can say that I love them. They're not the jazz-lite you hear so much on conglomerate radio these days. Drummer Hans, bassist Mark Solveson and guitarist Jeff Schroedl have put out a wonderful CD with 'Drums! Bass! Guitar!' The 10-track CD, which features a mix on originals and covers, deserves the exclamation marks. Each of the trio are gifted players knowing how to expand on an idea without getting too note-y. This is a CD that features great ensemble playing along with tasteful well-executed solos."
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