And here we are:

More serendipity - I received the cd the same day I was entertaining a friend, a pianist visiting from out of town. We had just been talking about jazz, a new interest of study for both of us. We were in fact wondering whether or not a guitarist could play jazz with a pianist. Would they not proceed to step all over each other?

So imagine the surprise and utter delight when I opened and put on a CD by a jazz trio of guitar, organ and drums? From the bouncey opening phrases of "Starbrite," the first of The Power of Three's eight original songs (all written by Sheryl), we knew we were in for a treat. And when all the crisp, jumping interplay between the organ and guitar led to the timeless sultry and funky groove of "Ray's Way" (think of the beat in 'Mercy Mercy Mercy'), we were hooked.

Good thing, too, because the middle of The Power of three demanded attention - the sparse, hypnotic organ work in "Death Toll" setting up the effervescence of "The Spring", with the guitar bubbling all over the place.

The trio's strengths of each member playing off the other are showcased in the powerful "(Until You) Return to Me". Sheryl's guitar starts the song off as a lament. Yet when Gary joins in, framing the guitar's voice with solid blocks of chords on the organ, the sadness is infused with hope. And as the guitar tapers away, the organ takes on a wandering, lilting quality, leaving you with the impression that perhaps there will be no return at all.

Ian Froman's drumming is the glue that holds everything together. When you consider he is handling the rhythm pretty much on his own since there is no bassist, your appreciation grows. He is given plenty of time to shine, particularly in the swinging "Something Blue" and "The Wessenback."

Sheryl treats us to a hauntingly beautiful solo guitar piece in the closing number, "Arpeggio." On my first listen I wasn't sure I liked the abrupt change until I realized that my initial reaction on the CD's being over was "I've got to hear this again!"