Craig Taborn Trio: Chants

On his trio debut for the ECM label, thoughtful US pianist Craig Taborn rejects what he calls the "piano adventures with supporting cast" format in favour of a more democratic approach. Joining him on this equal footing are two musicians with the depth to respond to Taborn's challenging compositions, bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Gerald Cleaver. The three have developed their own sound in a live setting for nearly a decade without ever recording it. So now, with sage producer Manfred Eicher in the control booth, what transpires is not the opening salvo of some emergent concept but a fully formed personal language, one that embraces many influences yet still achieves what is a most extraordinary feat: it finds somewhere new to stand on old, well-trodden ground.
ecmrecords.com