Latest releases reviewed
LYNNE ARRIALE
Come Together Motema
*****
Arriale composed six of the pieces on this new CD, which marks the 10th anniversary of her trio with bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Steve Davis, and, like her piano playing, they have the usual hallmark of a very savoury melodic grace. But she's also a scrupulous craftswoman; her improvisations seem to grow organically not only within the structure of each tune, but also within the context of her tightly knit trio's interaction and the sense of drama the group collectively generates. This is merely stating the obvious. What sets this trio apart is that it's very much her own creation; her concern with melody and form - there's little to push the envelope here - give it a character unlike any other, producing music which is both beautiful and accessible. And, not incidentally, that swings like mad. www.musicconnection.org.uk
Ray Comiskey
JAN LUNDGREN
Landscapes Sittel
***
In the past, such Swedish jazz musicians as pianists Jan Johansson, Nils Lindberg and Esbjorn Svensson (with trombonist Nils Landgren) and trumpeter Bengt-Arne Wallin, have sought inspiration in the country's rich folk heritage. The latest is the brilliant bop pianist, Jan Lundgren. Accompanied by bassist Matthias Svensson and drummer Morten Lund, he spices some beautifully played traditional material with his own folk-like originals. It's the originals which come off best in jazz terms; perhaps respect for the character of the traditional songs was an interpretive constraint. The penultimate track's four-tune folk medley suggests a producer's influence, and the unexpected send-up final track hints at ambivalence on the musicians' part. But there's still enough Lundgren here for aficionados of his playing to savour.
Ray Comiskey
GIANLUIGI TROVESI/GIANNI COSCIA
Round About Weill ECM
****
This venture into Weill country contains some clarinet and accordion duologues of the utmost delicacy and wit. Trovesi and Coscia catch the ironic grotesqueries of Weill's often satirical world superbly, and the sheer chemistry of their music-making gives these further point; there's a whiff of the Felliniesque about it, too. That said, the circumscribed emotional climate of Weill's sometimes melancholy music is not everyone's beverage, and superb as Trovesi and Coscia are, the duo's instrumentation offers limited possibilities for colours and textures. But Weill's Tango Ballade and Mahagonny Scenes 13 and 4, and the non-Weill material, particularly the duo's originals, Round About Weill I and II, are especially compelling performances. www.musicconnection.org.uk
Ray Comiskey
