The latest releases reviewed.

LYNNE ARRIALE Live in Burghausen In + Out Records ****

Pianist Arriale's trio, with Jay Anderson (bass) and Steve Davis (drums), marks 10 years as a unit with this fine example of their "conversational" approach to improvisation; it's acute, intuitive and mutually aware to a remarkable degree. Arriale refreshes the repertoire by writing a lot for the trio, and here Home, Braziliana, Arise and Flamenco show her range and quality. But she's also open to other things: Iko Iko, the rocking '50s r'n'b hit; an adroitly reharmonised Come

Together; Abdullah Ibrahim's lovely Mountain of the Night; Monk's Bemsha Swing; Vic Feldman's Seven Steps to Heaven; and a standard, Alone Together. Arriale is more assertive in a live situation, but her innate concern with melody and structure remains intact. No boundaries stretched, but this trio is very good at what it does. Extras include a portrait of the pianist and an interview with her. www.musicconnection.org.uk Ray Comiskey

SHANE MACGOWAN If I Should Fall from Grace Weinerworld ****

One of the greatest songwriting talents of the past 25 years, and he literally slashes it away. It's difficult to have any sympathy or empathy left for as wasted a talent as Shane MacGowan; his early songs for The Pogues were fantastic and unbeatable hybrids of the folk idiom, punk rock and a unique lyricism that conjured up images of Behan, Kerouac and the second generation Irish-London experience. His disastrous fall from grace (there are no ifs about it, really) is superbly documented by director Sarah Share via varying live performances from MacGowan, as well as inteviews with him, Nick Cave, former Clash bassist Paul Simonon and Pogues colleague Philip Chevron. Insightful, but perhaps too salutary and shake-of-the-head depressing For words. Tony Clayton-Lea