Three is not a crowd…
Eri Yamamoto plays piano as well as singing a bit alongside bassist David Ammbrosio and drummer Ikuo Takeuchi on this album of post modern originals. With voice, she gets ominous on the title tune, and folksy for “Colors Are Beautiful” while her touch on the piano is reminiscent of Keith Jarrett on the richly cadenced “Challenge” the team extrapolates on the playful “Internal Beat” with Ambrosio and Takeuchi building up the drama on Ends To A Start”. Fluid forms.
Pianist and leader Spike Wilner plays it smart with his teammates Peter Washington/b and Joe Farnsworth/dr on this tribute to Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. Unlike most pianists, Wilner doesn’t let Monk get inside his head, and fall into the pit of trying to imitate him. Instead, he uses the tunes like “Eronel” and “Well, You Needn’t” as sleek themes of lyricism, while Farnsworth’s brushes on “Pannonica” are easy ice skates.
For the Ellington side, Wilner picks more obscure tunes, giving elegance to “Le Sucrier Velour” and digging in deeply with his buddies on “ Gypsy Without A Song”. His rich chords stride well on “U.M.M.G” and there is a slow Basie pulse to “Intimacy of the Blues”. Impressive impressions.
Bassist Domi Edson brings together Spencer Zweifel on piano and bassist Bobby Wiens on a collection of mostly originals. There are a handful of standards, deftly displayed as on the spaciously hip “Shiny Stockings” and easy boppying “Up Jumped Spring”. The three deliver a cute jig on the folksy “Killarney Glen” and are sweet on the Latinized “Crocos”. Edson digs into a rich lead for “Domi’s New Blues” and bows through the elegant “For Col Tom Blue”. Pastel shades.