Latest releases reviewed
GIALUIGI TROVESI/UMBERTO PETRIN/FULVIO MARAS
Vaghissimo Ritratto
ECM
*****
clarinet throughout) and his colleagues complement each other's thoughts with rare insight and lyrical intelligence. Marvellous music, superbly recorded. www.musicconnection.org.uk RAY COMISKEY
MARK SHERMAN
Family First
City Hall
***
Sherman is an experienced and talented vibist and composer, here leading a precise and well-schooled quintet completed by Joe Magnarelli (trumpet/flugelhorn), Allen Farnham (piano/fender rhodes), Dean Johnson (bass) and Tim Horner (drums). His writing for the group is challenging, yet deftly constructed and full of character, constantly demanding more of his soloists without overwhelming them - though it would take a lot to faze Magnarelli and Farnham. Both, like Sherman, are in splendid form, driven well by the rhythm section. And the apparent ease and accessibility of Sherman's compositions, where the ear is concerned, belie the complexity he has carefully built into them. This is a swinging band, crisp and authoritative - as well as noteworthy for the way its signature blend of vibes and flugelhorn works. www.cityhallrecords.com RAY COMISKEY
FRANK KIMBROUGH
Play
Palmetto
****
Kimbrough, perhaps best known as the pianist in Maria Schneider's orchestra and the founder of the Jazz Composers Collective, has an enviable track record with his own working groups. This trio album, unusually for him, is an off-the- cuff affair, albeit with players of his choice in Masa Kamaguchi (bass) and Paul Motian (drums). He should do it more often. It's a beautiful album, thoughtful, lyrical, playful and filled with a sense of communion and discovery. The programme is bookended by two takes of a lovely ballad, Beginning, whose slow rubato allows full rein to the engaging interaction that distinguishes this trio's approach. And though much of the playing is rubato, it's imaginatively handled, reaching a peak in the long, unresolved Waiting in Spain. But they also groove robustly on a spiky waltz, The Spins, and the angular Jimmy G, a blues in 3/4. Savoury. www.palmetto-records.com RAY COMISKEY
