The music on this album by Jean-Michel Pilc/p, Mads Vinding/b and Marilyn Mazur/dr is summarized by two quotes in the liner notes. One is by Wayne Shorter who says “I’m going for the unknown,” and the other by Arnold Schoenberg which is “Composing is improvisation slowed down.”
Thus, much of the music here comes across as freely improvise, but not in a cacophonic way. There is a five part “Suite Nr1” and a two piece “Suite Nr 2” that features accessible groves that sometimes gives hints of projections of Ahmad Jamal’s deep rivulets, and other times classical hints a la Bill Evans’tangential forays slip into the form. A reading of “Alice in Wonderland” as well as “My One and Only Love” show what the trio can do with well crafted material, as Pilc waxes eloquence and Mazur displays deftness here. The freer pieces have rich moments, but the melodies seem a tad more shallow than the standards.
Storyville Records