Here’s a tasty little treat: pianist Ron Davis fronts a trio with Mike Downes/b and Ted Warren/dr along with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra fronted by Lillian Scheirich. The mix of small group dynamics and swing with the extra textures of the orchestra on this collection of classics, originals and traditional pieces is surprisingly successful on a number of levels. Cheerful trio works such as “The Climb” and “Sergei’s Shuffle” combine playful bopping melodies with rich orchestral harmonies with strings and brass to add extra richness to the jazz combo’s interplay. A song such as “Thomachonga” can come across as show tune material, while Bach’s “Mache Dich Mein Herze Rein” combines an “Appalachian Spring” panorama feel along with Sasha Boychouk’s clarinet work. Folk material such as “Le Reel de Pointe-au-Pic” melds romantic jazz a la Bill Evans with almost Gaellic romance, with a violin solo by Lillian Scheirich adding to the atmosphere. Surprisingly successful swing!
Acronym Records