Betrayal is a by the numbers, expertly put together, and meticulously composed jazz record. The trio, comprised of Erik Findling on guitar, Joey Ranieri on bass, Joe Enright on drums, and Peter Schulz on piano, have looped together a five piece EP that moves from funky to slow moving, from ballad to swing, and from smooth to abrasive. Findling himself comes from a storied background that’s seen him play at the Newport Jazz Festival, Grammy after parties, and countless others. He’s a musician who’s been honing his craft for years on end. Findling notes that practice is front and centre of who he is. From his days in school, he’d spend three hours a day just working on his skills.
Drawing influence from Coltrane, Davis, and other stalwarts, Findling’s latest project taps all the right notes for a modern jazz record. The entire EP, recorded live over just a couple of days, has a certain rawness and sincerity embedded to it. There’s very little done to the production post recording to embellish this record, leaving the wondrousness of the live recording in all its splendour for the listener to holistically imbibe.
The album’s closing track, ‘Let’s Cool One’, is also its most furnished. The rather sombre and melodic piece, which meanders from a cool and restrained smoothness to a more inviting and electrically engaging section has you transfixed throughout. Far from a lounge piece, it has an inviting tonality to it that leaves me wondering just how wonderful it would be to hear this group live.