PABLO HELD - Forest of oblivion

If you had around 15 bucks to spare and wanted to make a contribution to the advancement of the human race you could do a lot worse than buy Pablo Held’s first CD, Forest of Oblivion. I’m staggered that a 23 year old (21 when he cut this disc - he was winning jazz piano prizes at 12) and his trio can make music as beautiful as this. Whatever Germany is doing in its music education system to help produce talents such as Pablo (and Friedrich and Allhof to name but two more) other countries, please take serious note. I really can’t fault anything on this near perfect rendition of piano trio music - the impressionistic lyricism of Ana Maria, the controlled post-bop of swinging Hand Jive, the stately beauty of Melody. Much more than ably assisted by bassist Robert Landfermann and drummer Jonas Burgwinkel, this is a stella trio you’ll never regret listening to – try the Hancock inspired Phase II or the probing mood swings of Two Questions One Answer. I see that one of his teachers was one of Britain’s national treasures at the piano, my hero, John Taylor - I can hear his influence but I can also hear the souls of three young men cutting through all the transient flutter in this world and making a statement of intent to help us all appreciate beauty and truth.

I once said to my young cousin Tom that Muddy Water’s 1977 version of Mannish Boy would be on my iPod until my dying day. It still will be Tom, but I’d like to lend you 15 bucks if you have 120 Megs free to make room for Pablo the peacemaker.