Music in three…
Best known for his extroverted post bop work, Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba explores new worlds with his Trio D’ete of Matthew Brewer/dr and Eric Harland/b. There is still a presence of his bop chops, as on the pair of torrid “Turning” pieces, but for the most part the tunes are loose and intuitive. Brewer lays down a creative line for the fragile “Joy, Joie” and the team goes from hot to cool on the expansive “Infantil”. Brewer creates a soft and spacious atmosphere with trialogues on “Iku” with percussive punctuation pouncing like “Poinciana” on “Had One”. Piano through a prism.
A more unorthodox trio consists of trombonist Ryan Keberle, pianist Frank Woest and cellist Vincent Courtois on this collection of 12 original originals. Woest veers between relentless patterns as on “Cascades” to stately sonatas, featured during “Stillness Within”. Courtois bows through the moody “Lointain II” and strolls along for “Le Souffle De L’eau” with Keberle emotive on “Lointain I” and going to the dark side on ”Into Me You See”. The album almost feels orchestral in its delivery; where’s the accompanying film?
Bassist Harvie S and guitar man Roni Ben-Hur bring in drummer Sylvia Cuenca for a mix of standards and originals. Cuenca has an assertive touch on the drums, rumbling on the cleverly kinetic “Some Wandering Bushmen” and muscular on the hip “A Vontade Mesmo”. The team digs in on “For Duke P” and her brushes are cool with Ben-Hur on a divine “Boplicity”. Harvie S picks out a nice line on his own “Ray” and relaxes on the modern sounding “The Gentle Art of Love”. The team strolls out “Menage Blue” and Ben -Hur is lyrically buoyant on “Hat Was”. Clever connections.