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"We Got
Rhythm"
Personnel:

John Cocuzzi
Piano, vocal

John Previti
Acoustic bass

Big Joe Maher
Drums, vocal

CD Title: We Got Rhythm
by The Big 3 Trio – Beezwax Records

CADENCE Magazine — Jim Santella
July 2006 (Page 106)
JOHN COCUZZI, JOHN PREVITI & BIG JOE MAHER:
The Big Three Trio, "WE GOT RHYTHM"
BEEZWAX 2443A.

Surrey with the Fringe on Top /  I’ve Got the World on a String / Ooh Shoo Bee Doo Bee / Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me /  I Got Rhythm / Marielle / Dead Presidents / Since I Fell for You / Ain’t the Gravy Good? / Blues for Mr. Crab / God Bless the Child / What’ll I Do? / Dr. Jazz.  61:07.
Cocuzzi, p, el p, vcl; Previti, b; Maher, d, vcl.
Oct 2003, Catonsville, MD.

The Big Three Trio plays Straight-Ahead Jazz through its program of originals and standards. Theirs is a session of piano trio delights containing much rhythmic pride. The Blues runs through everything that they interpret. Drummer Big Joe Maher sings and propels with a loose demeanor. His “Dead Presidents” recalls the great times that Joe Williams gave us with Count Basie. As the trio takes “I Got Rhythm” for a ride, Maher’s crisp snare drum breaks into stride with power. His “Blues for Mr. Crab” provides an interesting journey that drives with a “Poinciana” rhythmic undercurrent. There’s no doubt that The Big Three Trio remains grounded in tradition. “Dr. Jazz” explores an earlier era, while “Ooh Shoo Bee Doo Bee” borrows from Dizzy Gillespie.
The trio’s history lesson comes with spontaneity and grit. Each selection finds the three artists inspired. Pianist John Cocuzzi wrote “Marielle,” a timeless Blues vocal that endears the listener intuitively. He interprets “Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me” at the electric piano with the song’s original sentiment, unleashing its Blues overtones. “Ain’t the Gravy Good?” puts both vocalists to work in a humorous escapade, while “God Bless the Child” is rendered with heartfelt passion. With a recommended program of standards and similar musical state-ments, The Big Three Trio makes a lasting impression through its timeless interpretations. — Jim Santella

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