CD CHOICE: A Night at the Village Vanguard(2CDs) Pirouet ****

Recorded two summers ago in the closing stages of a week-long residency at New York's Village Vanguard, this live release catches pianist Bill Carrothers' trio in vibrant form. Nicolas Thys (bass) and Dré Pallemaerts (drums) have a history of trio-playing with Carrothers dating back at least 11 years to Swing Sing Songson Birdologyand, more recently, to Pirouet's I Love Parisin 2005. And since this double CD presents a complete night's music – two sets, as it happens – it gives a sense of how intuitively this trio works.

Four of the pieces appeared on their first album, and Carrothers chose a further seven from his recent Clifford Brown tribute. But the material is good: far from overworked, it offers a diverse set of challenges and moods, and the trio brings to it a feeling of freshness and engagement.

Much of this is down to the leader. Even working inside long-established norms of trio- playing, Carrothers remains among the more original pianists of his generation. There is in his playing not merely a resolute refusal to play safe and run changes but also a determination to discover something new, to seize a found thought and do something with it. At times it is at the expense of the improvised flow, as he mines a piece for hidden treasure, but there is a richness and excitement to what he and the trio do as a result.

At its best it brings an unexpected emotional complexity to the second World War song This Is Worth Fighting Forand lovely explorations of Joy Spring/Delilah, Gertrude's Bounce, News From Home, Let's Get Lostand Those Were The Days. In the second set, Time, Pegand Snowboundare atmospheric ballads superbly played and contrasted with exhilarating romps such as Junior's Arrivaland the anthemic bop changes of Discombopulated.

At all times it’s absorbing to listen to the detail, but the thing to savour is a quality trio doing its own thing with such enjoyment and imagination. See pirouetrecords.com.