BILL CHARLAP TRIO - Live at the Village Vanguard
Precision engineered, highly swinging trio whether at ballad or extreme fast tempo. Charlap's technique is a wonder to behold and although it could easily be the main feature, he keeps it in check to serve its purpose of underpinning wonderfully realised piano jazz.
ANDERS CHRISTENSEN TRIO - Dear Someone
Don't let the Dylan inspired cover fool you, this is highly inspired contemporary jazz featuring the stella bassist and one of my favourites Aaron Parks on piano. With some unusual cross genre covers this memorable collection is confidently played with the utmost focus and soulful exposition.
FRANK KIMBROUGH TRIO - Rumors
Another stunning collection from my new favourite Frank Kimbrough. I'll buy anything he plays sight unseen, as he weaves new textures and resonances from the trio format in his own quiet fashion while others pick up the trio fad prizes.
PABLO HELD TRIO - Music
Leading man in the German piano trio tide, Held's follow up to Forest of Oblivion, sees him confidently tackling new material and opening his shoulders even more to the musical world he's beginning to shape.
ROBERT MITCHELL TRIO - The Greater Good
I can't believe this is the first British trio I've reviewed! Mitchell's 3io drips with soulful re-interpretations, Debussy-esque impressions and beautifully sustained tempos of mood and ambience. Recording feels like you're sitting next to him wrapped up in the sonic world they create here - wonderfully new loungey trio sounds.
RONNIE LYNN PATTERSON TRIO - Music
The second CD called Music in this batch. Patterson along with Kimbrough represent to me the current apex of jazz piano trio music making. This, his latest collection of undiluted emotions rendered with the fingers of a saint, is unmissable.
CURIOS - The other place
Following on from the equally wonderfully played Closer and Hidden, I love the Curios approach to the trio. Never ones to lean on familiar props, they constantly look for the new angle whilst never losing a complete understanding and ability to play notes that take a short cut to the soul.
GWILYM SIMCOCK - Blues Vignette
A masterpiece recording from Simcock. Utterly beautiful music in every sense. Don't let the ice of the cover mislead you - herein are some pieces of trio music that will entrap your senses in a delight of different moods all played with Simcock's fine mastery and a stella trio.
Hi Paul,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all these possibilities, and just in time for the season of present-giving. I'm really pleased to see the Anders Christensen Trio album here. I've been trying to persuade people that Aaron Parks is at his best in a trio, although the Blue Note album for which he's best known has an expanded line-up. It's worth mentioning too that Paul Motian is a significant presence on this album, having contributed three compositions to the ten pieces on it.
Hi Paul.
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled on your slightly insane (in a good way) blog in looking for commentary on Frank Kimbrough. He's a relatively recent discovery of mine also and my ears prick up every time I hear him. Was just playing "Waiting in Santander" from the Play album: quietly intense improvisation over a pedal point - you know the trio (Paul Motian's the drummer on this one too) has absorbed Coltrane & Tyner and much else besides, but their music is absolutely fresh.