I’ve seen some reviews saying the Alboran Trio are stepping into the void left by EST after the tragic death of Esbjorn Svensson but I don’t see it at all. Led by Italian pianist Paolo Paliaga (though ‘led’ is not the right word here), Alboran have a distinct style and approach that to my mind displays no other ambition than to play beautiful trio music. They use classical, jazz and folk styles that combine like the last rays of the sun reflecting on the gentle swell of a lake in the late afternoon. Perfectly recorded with as much attention to silence and separation of the instruments as to the sounds they make, the intimate conversations between the three flow from movement to movement as if each were a perfectly formed sonata – Delle Cose Nascoste/Autumn Mist. Paliaga’s piano, Contenti’s bass and Biolcati’s drums seem to work as one, seamlessly mixing melody, harmony and rhythm that at times evoke images from the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Black, Caspian, Dead, Adriatic and North Seas in a rich mix of limpid, crystalline tunes ranging from storm to still. Water in all its forms and reflective abilities is the theme for me with Alboran. Without proselytizing they seem to be saying, life is a rich diverse mix and yes it is good so dive in. I’ll try and review their first CD, Meltemi, also excellent, here at a later date.
Do you remember the last time you had some really excellent Italian food where the balance between the wine, pasta, water, salad, bread and conversation seemed to elevate the moment to something transcendent…?
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