For those not in the know, Gerry Eastman has long had an original sound and style on the guitar.

While there are moments where his tone many briefly recall George Benson or Wes Montgomery, his improvising is always adventurous without losing its blueness.

Gerry Eastman was born and raised in New York, and as a youth learned to play guitar, bass and drums.

He studied at Cornell University and Ithaca College and has been working constantly ever since.

Eastman was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra in 1986, and recorded with altoist Joe Ford, flutist Reynold Scott, the Contemporary Composer’s Orchestra, trumpeter Cullen Knight, drummer Nasar Abadey, and singer Karen Francis in addition to the Basie band.

The guitarist has led at least six albums of his own and his sidemen have included such notables as James Spaulding, Frank Foster, Jimmy Owens, Hank Crawford, Archie Shepp, David Murry, Robin Eubanks, Sumi Tonooka, Patience Higgins, Andy Bay, and Regina Carter, amongst others.

On his new album Trust Me (due out October 1st, 2021), Eastman along with organist Greg Lewis and drummer Taru Alexander provide a fresh spin on the classic jazz organ trio with their individual sounds, solos and inventive interplay.

They perform eight (8) of the guitarist’s originals and, while the music wings and grooves soulfully, it is far from predictable.

Eastman provides a variety of rich melodies, his chord changes are original, and each of the musicians contributes to the music’s surprising twists and turns.

1. Trust Me
2. St. Marteen Swing
3. Native Son
4. Learn From Yoiur Mistacks
5. Just A Matter Of Time
6. Distant Lover
7. Dance One
8. Cuban Sunset

Opening on the bluesy hipsway of the title track Trust Me, that is followed by the tantalizingly grooved melodies of St. Marteen Swing, the original title from Eastman’s 1992 album, Native Son (here masterfully redone by taking it out of tempo), and then we get the purposefully mistitled swinger, Learn From Yoiur Mistacks.

Up next is the uncomplicated, yet melodically sublime Just A Matter Of Time which is in turn followed by the conversational improve of Distant Lover, the album coming to a close on the boisterously exuberant Dance One, closing on the infectiously expressional Cuban Sunset.

Official CD Purchase Link