Trio Grande Turns Three Into Five at Joe Henderson Lab
“It’s not a bass-less trio anymore. It’s a bass-full trio!”
That line framed Trio Grande’s return to the Joe Henderson Lab last Wednesday. Saxophonist Will Vinson, guitarist Gilad Hekselman, and drummer Nate Wood have long operated without a dedicated bassist. In this iteration—call it Trio Grande 2.0—they’ve solved that equation in real time, expanding the group’s sonic footprint without adding personnel.
Wood remains the linchpin. Seated behind the kit with a bass guitar across his lap, he was able to split his body and mind into separate rhythmic departments. His left hand tapped out electric bass lines across the fretboard while his right hand and feet handled cymbals, snare, and kick. The effect was not gimmickry but architecture. The bass parts were harmonically grounded and rhythmically assured, locking in with the drums to create a low-end foundation that felt composed rather than improvised. Subtle shifts in posture kept the instrument stable as he moved between surfaces. What could have been a visual curiosity instead became the engine of the band’s propulsion.
Nate Wood. Photo: ©Steve Roby
With the bottom secured, Vinson and Hekselman moved freely across the middle and upper registers. Hekselman’s pedalboard played a crucial role. Octave effects thickened his tone, allowing him to generate a second bass layer when needed or deepen the harmonic field beneath Vinson’s alto. At other moments, Vinson shifted from a Nord keyboard to a Korg Minilogue bass synth, reinforcing or shadowing Wood’s lines and further widening the ensemble’s bandwidth. The Lab, intimate but acoustically precise, held the sound comfortably. The trio projected with the density of a quintet while retaining the agility of three musicians listening closely.
The set unfolded with deliberate looseness. Rather than adhere to a fixed sequence, the band selected titles from a printed list onstage. Vinson joked about “winging it,” but the spontaneity had purpose. Small pauses between tunes—brief recalibrations—became part of the rhythm of the night, reminders that the music was being shaped in the moment. When they launched, they did so with conviction.
Gilad Hekselman. Photo: ©Steve Roby
Roy Hargrove’s “Strasbourg/St. Denis” opened the evening in a groove-forward mode. Hekselman’s arrangement reframed the familiar theme through call-and-response figures that emphasized the trio’s layered instrumentation. The pocket sat just above a relaxed pulse—propulsive without rushing—giving Vinson room to stretch across the bar line while Wood’s bass and drums interlocked with elastic precision.
“In My Head” traced a different arc. Beginning in a suspended, almost dreamy state, the piece gradually accumulated weight. Saxophone and guitar braided together, sometimes doubling, sometimes diverging into counterlines. The build felt organic rather than imposed; when the climax arrived, it was a release of accumulated tension rather than a dramatic flourish.
The emotional center of the set came with Vinson’s “Ministry of Love.” The title recalls Orwell’s 1984, but the music leaned into blues-inflected phrasing and clean, unadorned saxophone tone. Here, the trio resisted density. Space entered the texture. Wood’s touch softened; Hekselman allowed chords to ring; Vinson shaped melodies with restraint. The result carried weight without volume, a reminder that the group’s technical resources serve expressive ends.
Vinson and Hekeselman. Photo: Steve Roby
Later, the premiere of “Summer Bath in Winter,” from the forthcoming What’s Left, pointed forward. The composition balanced odd-metered passages with melodically memorable motifs, suggesting that Trio Grande’s evolution lies as much in craft as in innovation.
They closed with “Olive Tree” and Hekselman’s “Magic Chord,” then stepped offstage and into the crowd. In an era when technology often distances musicians from listeners, Trio Grande used it to deepen connection—expanding the trio format while keeping its conversational core intact.
Program Notes
Band: Trio Grande
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Showtime: 7 p.m.
Venue: Joe Henderson Lab (SFJAZZ Center)
Location: San Francisco
Personnel
Will Vinson – alto saxophone, keyboard (Nord Stage 3), bass keyboard (Korg Minilogue)
Gilad Hekselman - guitar
Nate Wood - drums, bass
Setlist: “Strasbourg/St. Denis,” “Oberkampf,” “In My Head,” “Summer Bath in Winter,” “Ministry of Love,” “Olive Tree,” “Magic Chord”
