Tre Corda, "Church Rhythms"

By Rob Hochschild January 24, 2012 Whether reinventing jazz standards, breathing fresh life into classical repertoire, or premiering its own original works, Tre Corda generates a compelling sound all its own. The group's three instrumentalists are Berklee faculty members, coming together in an environment where they are free to explore their own creative paths—independently and collectively—and are able to do so independent of boundaries and categories that limit musical expression. Cellist Eugene Friesen's dynamic rhythms and incredible array of bowing and plucking techniques, trumpeter Greg Hopkins's virtuosic leaps and outrageous genre-bending phrases, and pianist Tim Ray's lyric melodicism and two-fisted pyrotechnics provide a wealth of refreshing surprises to their audiences.