What the world needs now is love, sweet love. But we’ll settle for a “Global Prayer,” the latest album from the Ize Trio. The global jazz outfit celebrated its recent release in the well-appointed interior of Regattabar at Harvard Square on Sunday.
The trio, which includes Chase Morrin (piano), Naseem Alatrash (cello) and George Lernis (percussion) was joined by special guest Gregory Groover Jr. on saxophone.
It was a night for giving thanks: to teachers, mentors and colleagues. All three members of the Ize Trio met at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, studied under Danilo Pérez and credited the program for helping them further develop the musical vocabulary required to bring together their diverse musical inheritances. Morrin’s roots extend from San Diego, Alatrash from Palestine, Lernis from Cyprus. The set reflected their globetrotting aesthetic.
One standout number was an adaptation of a song by Fairuz, sometimes called the “voice of Lebanon.” Alatrash led the charge with a delicate cello introduction that put his classical training on display alongside his affinity for music in the style of maqam.
The musicians also paid tribute to Sonny Rollins, the great American saxophonist who died in May.
Groover’s alto saxophone dug into the horn lines with gusto, with Morrin chasing after on keys. While the slight frame of the cello sometimes had difficulty carving a path through the meatier portions of the music (where a generously proportioned standup bass would thrive), Lernis’ percussive inventiveness added weight to the rhythm section.
The drummer sat on a cajon equipped with a bass kick pedal instead of your standard throne and operated a drum kit of exotic origin, including a toubeleki, bendir, and even a homemade chandelier of jangly house keys.
Along with teachers and mentors, the Ize Trio gave thanks to their parents. Morrin’s mother waved to the crowd from the front row when she was introduced, which proves (if it needed proving) that mothers never get tired of seeing their sons perform. Now that’s love, sweet love.
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