Nate Chinen on Jack DeJohnette

"For about the first 10 minutes of their opening set at the Blue Note on Tuesday night the drummer Jack DeJohnette, the pianist Danilo Pérez and the bassist John Patitucci seemed mildly adrift. Their interaction began as a formless wash with percussive grace notes: bell chimes played with soft mallets, left to resonate. Finally a rhythm emerged, and then a theme, played by Mr. DeJohnette on a melodica. The song, 'Tango African,' was his, and it had a center. But its coalescence felt diffuse, like watching weather patterns form. Perhaps the initial vagueness was a cost of transaction for a trio this intent on mystery. … Whatever the case, it was deceptive: once the band limbered up, its actions came as a series of jolts, locking fast into a groove. The musicians found common ground, along with sharp new ways of contesting it. … They first joined forces four years ago at the Panama Jazz Festival, over which Mr. Pérez presides as artistic director, and reconvened just last year, in a studio in upstate New York. This week’s run celebrates the release of the resulting album, 'Music We Are' … which features pieces by each player" ("At the Blue Note," New York Times, 4/16/09).