On Biotic (Endectomorph, 2026), his third record as a leader, bassist-composer Shawn Lovato leads a cordless saxophone trio that blurs the line between composition and improvisation. The entirely acoustic outing deftly weaves together elements of punk, romanticism, and the atmospheric. To do so, Lovato enlists the support of tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, whose profile has risen recently as a member of Nels Cline Consentrik Quartet and as a bandleader, and drummer Henry Mermer, a newer voice in New York’s creative music scene. Together the three build upon their prior collaborations; Laubrock tapped Lovato for her own band, Grammy Season, and Mermer plays in Laubrock’s sextet Lilith.
A late blooming jazz convert, Lovato grew up mostly on punk, metal, and hip hop and generally found that he could bake the ethos of those forms into improvised music. But the trio format proved problematic. While his prior two records featured a quintet and sextet, allowing for multiple voices to emerge, with a small trio he was more limited in trying to create the atmosphere and vibe he sought. So, he studied the chordless tenor sax bands, not to emulate their sounds but to become familiar with the spirit of those recordings. This studied material included the MOB Trio with Matt Wilson, Ohad Talmor, and Lovato’s first bass teacher Bob Bowen; Joe Lovano’s Quartets: Live at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1995); Tony Malaby’s Adobe (Sunnyside, 2004) with Drew Gress and Paul Motian; and Dave Holland’s post-Circle quartet album Conference of the Birds (ECM, 1972) with Barry Altschul, Anthony Braxton, and Sam Rivers.
As a leader, Lovato is on the frontline as often as he is partnering with Mermer as a rhythm tandem. The bassist and Laubrock share architectural sensibilities, though the former leans toward the visionary side while the latter focuses more heavily on texture and details. These roles are on display in the opening track, “Spling,” where the two share the frontline, propelled along by Mermer’s staccato kit work. Those unison lines hold for a full two-and-a-half minutes before each ventures out separately into vigorous solos, only to rejoin to take it out, with Mermer totally in sync with the vamp. “Frequent Flyer” is vastly different, with Lovato leading with a pulsating bass line, but Laubrock opting for lyricism in her sustained lines. Mermer and Lovato keep pushing the momentum forward underneath, as if on a different wavelength. In the middle section, Lovato delivers an up-tempo, crescendo-building solo, but Laubrock resists the temptation to change her tempo. “One Step From Anything Easy” is a free duo improvisation in which Laubrock and Lovato’s arco bass dance around each other, with the results ranging from elegant to fierce.
“Patience and Hydration,” the first piece Lovato wrote for the trio, is another example of how each is freed from a traditional role. Each ventures down a different path, yet the result is a cyclical, highly energetic feel, perhaps influenced by the aforementioned Holland album. The trio reveals a tender side on “Inexorable,” derived from an excerpt of a longer suite written in tribute to Lovato’s mother, who was tragically killed when he was in his late twenties. Both Laubrock and Lovato engage in riveting conversation as the piece unfolds.
“Dirt Doesn’t Burn,” the album’s lengthiest piece at over eight minutes, takes its name after a phrase Lovato found in a magazine article. Beginning with an emphatic pizzicato intro, the piece evolves into a sharp, angular swing feel where Laubrock mostly blows short phrases to which the bassist and drummer respond. As the piece unfolds, Laubrock lengthens her statements, challenging her bandmates, who continue to relentlessly push forward before. Mermer gets his own kinetic turn. The closing “Parachute Bloom” is another duet with Lovato’s bowed bass to blending beautifully with Laubrock’s tenor in both unison and point-counterpoint. The leader’s bowing hints of classical, but it’s the harmonic blending of the two instruments that makes it especially captivating.
On Biotic, Lovato says: “With this music, I wanted a harsh, geometric edge to be on the forefront, but at the same time I wanted it to sound organic and alive.” The results certainly meet that goal providing both an edginess and lyrical emotiveness.
‘Biotic’ will be released on Endectomorph Records on February 13, 2026. It can be purchased on Bandcamp.
Photo credit: Kenneth Jimenez
