No Base Trio is the union of alto saxophonist Jonathan Suazo, guitarist Gabriel Vicéns, and drummer Leonardo Osuna, formed in 2010 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. NBT focuses on creating music without barriers and consistently pushing boundaries of sound and improvisation. The trio started out playing straight-ahead jazz standards at concerts across the island, occasionally playing an improvised piece to break up the set. After realizing the unique energy that would arise when the trio would improvise together, they agreed to continue as an entirely improvised ensemble, gracing local venues such as Abracadabra Counter Cafe, La Taberna Lúpulo, El Local en Santurce, Nuestro Son, and El Boricua.
In 2020, NBT released their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album under the radical label Setola di Maiale. The album was praised by critics for its ambience and exploration and described by Avant Music News as "Attentively crafted improvised music informed by an eclectic set of influences." Most recently, after more than a year without performing due to COVID-19, NBT went to the studio to record their second album which was released on October, 2022. Musicologist and critic Marc Medwin from The Squid’s Ear noted, "There are groups that fail to accomplish exactly what makes this group successful, and that involves listening."
This collective plays a role in music’s continuous evolution, as the musicians find new ways of expression with wisdom, creativity, and passion.
Press Highlights
"There are groups that fail to accomplish exactly what makes this group successful, and that involves listening."
Marc Medwin, The Squid's Ear, 2023
“It’s an impressive album of synergy that manages to probe the wilds without bombast and total dissonance; kept together at all times with the most intuitive of unsaid musicianship and deft foresight.”
Dominic Valvona, Monolith Cocktail, 2022
“... i tre musicisti sono ricercatori di modelli buoni, spendibili in un momento storico in cui le nostre menti subiscono una pressione incredibile per via delle distopie che ci circondano ...”
Ettore Garzia, Percorsi Musicali, 2022
"NBT instigate and inhabit the shadowlands... It is abstraction and revelation all at once."
Mike Jurkovic, All About Jazz, 2022
"Featuring complex rhythms, free improvisation, and playful melodies full of energy and surprises, NBT’s sound is a kaleidoscopic one."
C.F. Smith, Twistedsoul, 2022
"Con cada tema nos adentramos mas profundamente en el universo particular de No Base Trio, un universo sin límites donde las leyes de la física musical no se aplican."
Marcos Flores, Más Jazz Digital, 2022
"If you are looking for an avant-garde musical excursion, then check out NBT II."
Henry Schneider, Exposé, 2022
“They manage to keep listeners captivated all throughout the ambitious 100 minutes of the release.”
Paul Medrano, Best of Jazz, 2022
“Every piece here offers adventurous perspectives and endless possibilities within their purely improvisational framework.”
Peter Thelen, Exposé, 2021
"Its cascading, formless ambience affords strange new spaces to inhabit, explore, and contemplate during lockdown"
Mike Jurkovic, All About Jazz, 2020
"It will pleasantly surprise you with its mix of melody and exploration"
Paul Acquaro, The Free Jazz Collective, 2020 ★★★★
"De drie van No Base Trio zijn bovenal meesters in het opbouwen van een spannende verhaallijn, wat maakt dat hun manier van improviseren uiteindelijk heel toegankelijk klinkt zonder dat de intrinsieke waarde aan dieptegang verliest."
Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz'halo, 2020
"Attentively crafted improvised music informed by an eclectic set of influences"
Daniel Barbiero, Avant Music News, 2020
“No Base Trioa voitaneen eittämättä pitää yhtenä Puerto Ricon luovimmista bändeistä.”
Jouko Kirstilä. Jazzrytmit, 2020
"Ethereal and abstract, the improv tone poems contained in the eponymous new album by No Base Trio are mood-inducing, thought-provoking, and uncontainable"
Debbie Burke, Jazz Author, 2020
"Le tout est excellemment produit."
Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg, Orynx-improv'andsounds, 2020
“… han creado un lenguaje propio, que los ha ayudado a forjar una conexión especial, que se refleja en su nuevo proyecto discográfico, No Base Trio.”
Vicente Toledo Rohena, El Vocero, 2020
“EXT” titled pieces that create dark and impressionistic sonic images.”
George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly, 2020
Reviews + Articles + Interviews
