Tori Freestone Trio’s El Barranco review: A strong melodic intelligence

Saxophone, bass and drums trios can be the purest form of jazz - or the purest form of torture. Without the warm, insulating layer of harmony, melodies float free above groove, and it takes a player with not only virtuosic technique, but also the range, imagination and taste to keep things interesting. UK saxophonist Tori Freestone is such a player, balancing a strong melodic intelligence with a playful, at times reckless sense of adventure. But the real key to this second recording of her trio with bassist Dave Manington and drummer Tom Giles, is the fluency of the language these three long-time colleagues have developed together, weaving in and out of each other's thoughts, which makes the absence of chords entirely moot. whirlwindrecordings.com Cormac Larkin