The marrow of jazz is still producing life in the form of the piano trio.
Pianist Derel Monteith teams with bassist Andy Crawford and drummer Jason Brannon for some clever and well conceived originals. His touch is able to go from spacious reflections during “In My Humble Opinion” to some bouncy bop as on the nimble “Folk Song” and rocking “Downtown Creep” and sound comfortable in both environs. Brannon’s brushes are sublime on the longing “Quantity Of Life” and leads a nice canter for “Upper West Side.” Classy!
Florian Hoefner brings his piano to interpret his own material and traditional pieces along with Andrew Downing/b and Nick Fraser/dr. The team gives a soulful feel of the folk tune “Maid On The Shore” with Downing leading a deeply felt nocturne of “Rain and Snow.” The gents get modal on a dramatic “Calvary” and hit the blues scene on “Short Life” with the leaders own “First Spring” flowing with grace and “Winter In June” rich in dark reflection. Morning has broken.
Russian pianist Evgeny Sivtsov puts together a wonderful collection of new tunes with the flexible team of bassist Dan Chimielinski and drummer Shawn Baltazor. They create a wonderful groove as bass and drum rumble under Sivstov’s dancing fingers on “Zoo” and “The Death of the Last Dinosaur” while the leader swirls like a Dairy Queen double dipper on “Dragonflies.” A Monkish “Happy Hippo” has Sivtsov striding right and Baltazor snaps everyone to attention on “New Anthill.” Is this guy ever coming to LA?!?