Not a law firm, but rather a drummerless jazz trio, with Ron Crotty on bass and Frank Phipps on valve trombone.
Bassist Ron Crotty was a member of popular pianist Dave Brubeck's earlier groups, including both a trio and a quartet. Born in San Francisco, Crotty is often associated with jazz happenings in the hilly city. One of the most famous independent recording labels from Frisco, Fantasy, made an album of Crotty's own trio a reality and called the LP Modern Music from San Francisco. Tracks from this session, featuring the participation of Latin jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, also made it onto a Fantasy compilation entitled The Jazz Scene: San Francisco. Since 2004, Crotty worked a series at the Oakland Museum with a shifting cast of pianists, including the ecstatic Bliss Rodriguez. [www.cmt.com] Ron still plays in the Oakland Museum Cafe five days a week, 12 - 2 PM.
Frank Phipps plays a variety of tenor-range valved instruments, including euphonium and bass trumpet. He's recorded with Larry Baskett and played jazz in Norway in the 60s. He's a wonderful, melodic, swinging improviser.
Tony Corman graduated Berklee as a saxophone major in 1977. He performed with a variety of Boston and Bay Area jazz groups before losing his sax chops to focal dystonia in 2002. He then switched to guitar and has since recorded and appeared with Jenny Ferris, FivePlay, this trio and others.
Read more...