The Joe Gilman Trio

Spend time in Stockton, that city 40-some miles south of here, and you’ll come face to face with the deity of Concord-born pianist-composer Dave Brubeck, one of Northern California’s biggest contributions to jazz. In Stockton, Brubeck is God. So, it’s fitting that Sacramento pianist and jazz educator Joe Gilman tackled nine Brubeck compositions (plus one from Brubeck’s older brother, Howard) on this fine set. Gilman’s elegant melodic runs, punctuated by block-like chords, animate these numbers nicely. He’s aided by a rhythm section featuring Joe Sanders on bass and Justin Brown on drums, which gives the material a feeling somewhere between straight-ahead and chamber jazz. There’s no pop-jazz here, like “Take Five,” Brubeck’s 1959 hit (actually penned by Paul Desmond); just straight Brubeck, no chaser.