Three’s company…
Pianist Rick Roe joins together with bassist Rob Bickley and drummer Jesse Kramer for a mix of originals and bopping covers. Roe shows his hand with a fun take of Thelonious Monk’s “Sixteen” (with a nice solo by Bickley) and a unison line’d read of Charlie Parker’s “Bird Feathers”. Kramer’s cymbals guide through Ivan Lins’ lithe “Love Dance” and is crisp on the upbeat dig of “Gelispie’s In Town”. The trio gives a hip cadence to “Lucid Dream” and flows well on “Primal Union”. Simpatico.
Bassist Manel Fortia brings his own compositions to be interpreted by his trio with drummer Raphael Pannier and pianist Marco Mezquida for this recent release. His bass is strong and resilient, brooding on the soft “Dormir” and melancholy during his introduction to “Aires de Liberdad”. There’s a dash of Bach on his rococo “Simple” and he years on the title tune, leading into a tango for “El De Despues”. Pannier swings easy on the bluesy “Espiritual” and his cymbals guide Mezquida through a lyrical “Circular”. Mezuida is stately on the nocturnal “Saudades” and the team is cohesive throughout. Deep recesses.