1 Sem 2018 - Part Seven

Roma Trio
The Four Seasons



By ElusiveDisc
The Roma Trio puts their spin on the classic "The Four Seasons," a group of four violin concerti by Italian composer Antionio Vivaldi, each of which represented a season of the year.
Musicians:
Luca Mannutza, piano
Gianluca Renzi, bass
Nicola Angelucci, drums


Francisco Lo Vuolo
In Walked Francis

By Jakob Baekgaard
Sometimes the title of a record reveals that the music is something special. This is indeed the case with Argentinian pianist Francisco Lo Vuolo's solo piano album In Walked Francis.
Anyone who is slightly familiar with Justo Lo Prete's label Rivorecords knows what to expect: Pure quality releases in sophisticated packaging that focus on the sound made famous by Blue Note in the 1950s and 1960s. Lo Prete is interested in providing a contemporary take on jazz tradition and that is why the records on the label are often named after classic songs and standards, but In Walked Francis is an exception and an unusually bold title. It is a reference to pianist Thelonious Monk's classic composition "In Walked Bud" and suggests that Lo Vuolo doesn't need to play in the shadows of previous masters. He has his own walk, his own thing.
Lo Vuolo's originality isn't shown in the choice of material that still relies on the repertoire of standards like "Star Eyes" and "I'm Old Fashioned" and modern jazz classics like Monk's "Ruby My Dear" and, of course, "In Walked Bud." Instead, Lo Vuolo brings his superbly swinging sense of rhythmic surprise and melodic feel to the table and plays with a refreshing rebellious passion that would have made Monk proud.
Lo Vuolo also plays his own original "Arthur's Blues," a smoky ballad with a deep blue feeling and playful twists and turns. Here, it is easy to imagine the pianist sitting late at night in a little bar, playing his music while people are sipping wine. The piano sings and all ears are suddenly listening as Lo Vuolo walks around the keys and makes the notes bloom like beautiful flowers. For a moment, forget Bud Powell, forget Thelonious Monk. This is Francis Lo Vuolo taking his own musical walk.
Track Listing: 

How High the Moon; Arthur's Blues; In Walked Bud; Ruby My Dear; Star Eyes; Cry Me A River; Easy Living; I'm Old Fashioned; 'Round Midnight.
Personnel: 

Francisco Lo Vuolo: piano.

The Doug Johnson Trio
Live At The Royal Garden




Personnel:
Doug Johnson: Piano/ Edward Perez: Bass/ Harry Tanschek: Drums

Gary Peacock Trio
Tangents

By Karl Ackermann
Considering his nearly sixty-five years of recording, Gary Peacock has been relatively selective in his choice of leader projects. His association with luminaries Albert Ayler, Paul Bley, Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett have put him in the company of jazz history makers. When Jarrett's Standards Trio, with Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette, disbanded in 2014 after over twenty recordings, Peacock launched his own piano trio with pianist Marc Copland and drummer Joey Baron. Tangents is the follow-up to Now This (ECM, 2015).
Not surprisingly, given their long careers, these musicians have crossed paths before the trio was formed. Baron and Copland most recently played together on John Abercrombie's Up and Coming (ECM, 2017), while Copland and Peacock have collaborated on a number of the pianist's trio releases on the Pirouet label, including Modinha—NY Trios Vol. 1 (2006), with drummer Bill Stewart and Voices—NY Trios Vol. 2 (2007), with Paul Motian.
Peacock contributes five of the eleven compositions on Tangents, with Baron and Copland contributing two and one, respectively. The album also includes the Miles Davis (and/or Bill Evans) standard, "Blue in Green"; a striking version of Alex North's "Spartacus"; and one group composition. "Spartacus," in contrast to the collectively free-improvised "Empty Forest," makes for an effective snapshot of the diversity of styles covered. Beyond that, there is the not-quite-pastoral resourcefulness of "December Greenwings" and the sharply executed, bleeding- edge energy of "Tempei Tempo," with great improvisations from all.
At eighty-two years of age, one need only listen to "Rumblin'" to hear Peacock solo like the ageless wonder that he is. In the Tangents liner notes, he embraces a forward-thinking approach to composing at this late stage of his career. Rather than finding a comfortable position, Peacock is much more inclined to experiment with freer forms. He has found empathic partners in Baron and Copland, who he senses as "having the same experience in the moment, feeling the music together."
Tangents has to be considered a highlight in the careers of all three artists, as the too-often hyperbole of creative improvisation is exchanged for masterful and unequaled demonstrations of the art—and one of the best piano trio albums in some time.
Track Listing: 

Contact; December Greenwings; Tempei Tempo; Cauldron; Spartacus; Empty Forest; Blue in Green; Rumblin; Talkin’ Blues; In And Out; Tangents.
Personnel: 

Gary Peacock: double-bass; Marc Copland: piano; Joey Baron: drums.