Benny Goodman: The Complete Capitol Trios (Capitol)
An impressive reminder of the virtuosity and elegance of Goodman's so-called "chamber" small group jazz is this collection of his clarinet-piano-drum trios from the late 1940s and early 1950s. The rhythmic and harmonic language belongs to an earlier time (bop, then taking the jazz world by storm, might never have happened) but the players were comfortable with it. Perhaps too comfortable in places; the trio with pianist Teddy Wilson is suave, rather than biting. But the other pianists on these sessions, Jimmy Rowles and Mel Powell, prod Goodman more in terms of harmony and he responds, especially where Powell is concerned; there's a sense of involvement beyond virtuosity from Goodman as the gifted Powell pushes the great clarinettist to some of his finest post-Swing era improvising.
- Ray Comiskey
Albert Sanz & David Mangual: des d'aqui (Satchmo)
Albert Sanz, currently finishing an Irish tour, is a young pianist just emerged to considerable critical acclaim - and, no doubt, expectation - on the Spanish jazz scene. With this, his first album as leader, he provides enough to show the fuss has substance. The aural evidence suggests his roots are in late bop, and though his conception has still to develop wherever he wishes to take it, he is clearly breaking away from the expected in terms of the linear, rhythmic and harmonic response to the material, almost all of which is by Sanz and his co-leader, bassist David Mengual. In what has, naturally, more of a work-in-progress feel to it than anything else, Sanz and Menguez are the most interesting players in these trio, quartet and quintet permutations, recorded late last year.
- Ray Comiskey
