The latest releases reviewed
ELIANE ELIAS
Something for You: Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill
Evans
Blue Note
****
To cover as many pieces associated with Evans as
possible, Eliane Elias decided to set time limits for each
performance in this lovely tribute from one brilliant pianist to
another. The trade-off between time and conciseness brings both
rewards and penalties. Elias is a remarkably talented improviser
and the trio versions, with Marc Johnson (bass) and Joey Baron
(drums), of
You and the Night and the Music, But Not for Me, Waltz for
Debby, Blue in Greenand
My Foolish Heartare delightfully succinct marriages of
logic and lyricism. And, on six tracks, Elias's understated,
conversational singing is ideal for the intimacy that Evans evoked.
Elsewhere are other little gems, including two previously unknown
Evans compositions, all beautifully cut, although their brevity
does walk a thin line between illustration and exploration.
RAY COMISKEY
ALBORAN TRIO
Near Gale
ACT
****
Alboran is the Arabic name for the stretch of water
between Spain and Africa, and this trio - Paolo Paliaga (piano),
Dino Contenti (bass) and Gigi Biolcati (drums) - references it as a
symbol of cultural mixing. The trio, who were in Ireland at last
year's Jazz on the Terrace Festival, is an excellent group in the
clear three-way dialogue tradition of the Bill Evans trio. There
are resonances, too, with another ACT trio, EST, but the Alboran
offer a sunnier, more sweepingly romantic, "Mediterranean" take on
it, complete with African rhythmic influences, and their interplay
is more complex. All but one of the pieces were written by Paliaga,
with standout performances on the elegant groove of
Pow Wowand in the poised yet laid-back exchanges of
Selon Moi(both takes),
Fuori Stagioneand
Invariable Geometries. Hard not to be seduced by the
subtle charm of it all.
www.actmusic.com
RAY COMISKEY
AL COHN
And His "Charlie's Tavern" Ensemble
Fresh Sound
***
Few were as adept at marrying swinging
arrangements to texture and colour as the late Al Cohn, and these
long unavailable mid-1950s sessions emphasise his gifts as a writer
and player. An 11-piece ensemble, including an in-form Joe Newman
(trumpet), Billy Byers and Eddie Bert or Frank Rehak (trombones),
Hal McKusick, Gene Quill, Cohn and Sol Schlinger (reeds), and a
rhythm section with Osie Johnson (drums), gave Cohn all the scope
he needed. The results were the epitome of consistency, with Cohn's
deftly swinging settings for
Inside Out, Moveand
Something for Lisaevoking typically excellent solo work by
the whole front line. But the outstanding
Autumn Leaves, a tone poem enhanced by the sombre majesty
of Newman's powerful playing, is something else; an arrangement and
performance to grace any album.
www.freshsoundrecords.com
RAY COMISKEY
