This week's jazz releases reviewed.
ENRICO PIERANUNZI/MARC JOHNSON/JOE BARON
Dream DanceCamJazz *****
The chemistry between these three goes beyond style or innovation. It's an unending wellspring of mutual creativity, which places them among the finest living exponents of the piano trio format. In form here, they seize the sparest motivic ideas and take them wherever they wish, as they do in transforming Pseudoscopeand Five plus Fiveinto straightahead, euphorically inventive grooving. There are other things to savour: the combination of lyricism and formal logic of Pieranunzi's marvellous piano solos on Dream Dance, Peu de choseand Castle of Solitude; the sheer sonorous "presence" of Johnson's great bass in ensemble and solo after solo; the sensitive, anchoring commentary of Baron's drums. This is a trio whose performances sound complete, yet which leaves the feeling that it can do even more whenever it has a collective mind to. www.CamJazz.com
GILAD ATZMON
In Loving Memory of America Enja ***
Atzmon’s music has often reflected his passion and political commitment. They’re evident in this bittersweet tribute to America and his jazz heroes of the 1950s and 1960s, which sets his brilliant clarinet, alto and soprano saxophones against the backdrop of the Sigamos String Quartet and his own rhythm section. Atzmon’s fine playing and more than half the repertoire inevitably echo the Charlie Parker music of the strings, and the retro feel is pointed. This is a salute to Atzmon’s idea of America when that idea stood for something vastly different from his perception of the place today.
Yet Parker (and Atzmon’s other jazz heroes) had a more jaundiced idea of the country then, based on experience, which muddies the political undercurrents of Atzmon’s tribute. But it doesn’t take from the music’s astringent beauty or the compellingly ambivalent warmth of his performance. www.enjarecords. com
LARS DANIELSSON
Tarantella ACT ***
It's hard to imagine that a CD with Lars Danielsson (bass/cello/bass violin), Mathias Eick (trumpet), Leszek Mozdzer (piano/celesta/ harpsichord), John Parricelli (guitar) and Eric Harland (drums/ percussion) could disappoint, but Tarantelladoes. It's a gently melodic album, pretty and filled with attractive colours, but much of it is too strictly controlled by Danielsson, who wrote all but two of the pieces. Moreover, the full quintet are scarcely used – and when they are, they're tightly focused on the result he wants. Mostly Danielsson permutates duo, trio and quartet performances, and it's in the duo outings by Danielsson and Mozdzerwhere improvisational creativity is given more scope. Significantly (and despite extra dubbing) these have an interactive life less evident elsewhere, which will not surprise anyone familiar with their almost telepathic 2007 duo album, Pasodoble, also on ACT. www.actmusic.com
