Alexander Hawkins has never taken a lesson from anyone else on how to play the piano and that’s probably what makes his sound so fresh and original.
Whether playing solo or writing for a large ensemble, the UK pianist and composer likes to push boundaries, take left turns and generally upset the apple cart, but his first release in the classic piano trio format is more traditional than might be expected.
There are echoes of Paul Bley and Andrew Hill in Hawkin’s playing, but there is also a more hard-edged abstraction – too austere to some ears, but for those attuned to angular melodies and dissonant harmonies, here is a pianist in impressive command of his instrument.
