Piano Trio Roundup 1! Hersch, Fukumori, Perazzo & Cardillo, Fujii, Donelian

     Since at least the 1950's, when pianists Red Garland, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, and Ahmad Jamal, among many others, led popular trios, the basic format of piano, bass, and drums has been a constant in the jazz world, encompassing a amazing array of styles and interactive approaches. It’s an instrumental lineup that never seems to get old, and every year brings new additions to the piano trio canon....

    Fifty or so years ago, I remember looking at a friend’s large record collection. Noticing that he had something like 50 Bill Evans records, I recall thinking how weird it was to have so much music by one pianist. That was then. I’ve learned my lesson over the decades, and although I don’t have 50 Evans titles, I do have quite a lot of piano trio albums by the likes of Red Garland, Cedar Walton, Ray Bryant, George Cables, Paul Bley, and Fred Hersch. Possibly the last major pianist to have learned his craft on the job, and not in school, Hersch is credited in the Jazz Discography with 58 sessions as leader since Horizons, his 1984 debut on Concord Records. That album featured a trio with Marc Johnson on bass and Joey Baron on drums. Baron and Hersch played together on a number of albums in the Eighties, and now they’ve reunited for The Surrounding Green, with bassist Drew Gress, a frequent partner for Hersch since 1992. Recorded in what’s become Hersch’s favorite space, the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in Lugano, Switzerland, the music unfolds with immense charm and deep feeling. The mix of original tunes and choice selections from the jazz world, like Ornette Coleman’s Law Years and Charlie Haden’s First Song, is typical of a Hersch program. ECM’s typically crustal-clear recording of the trio serves to enhance their interior dynamics. The Surrounding Green is not to be missed, with music that will be enjoyed over and over in the years to come.  ECM 2836; Fred Hersch (p) Drew Gress (b) Joey Baron (d); Lugano, Switzerland, May 2024; Plainsong/ Law Years/ The Surrounding Green/ Palhaço/ Embraceable You/ First Song/ Anticipation; 41:39. ecmrecords.com

 
     It only takes a couple of minutes to realize that pianist Michika Fukumori is a distinctive composer and an utterly self-assured presence at the keyboard. A long-time student of pianist Steve Kuhn, she wrote the first seven tunes on the enjoyable Eternity And A Day, where she’s joined by Steve Whipple on bass and veteran Adam Nussbaum on drums. Fukumori and Whipple have played together frequently over the last decade, and their rapport is apparent. Nussbaum got his start in the late Seventies, playing on record dates led by prominent jazzmen like Dave Liebman and John Scofield, and he’s appeared on over 300 sessions since then. Another Tomorrow gets things off to an excellent start with a hard bop styled melody, influenced by Horace Silver and Bobby Timmons. The title track is a calm and introspective ballad. Fukumori’s other original tunes follow, comprising a sort of suite: the Brazilian-flavored Acaso, the jaunty Our Future (Reiwa), the tender The Light of Dawn, the gentle blues of Port (The Departure) and ending with There is Always Light, another mellow theme with a definite blues feeling. The four pieces from other sources reveal Fukumori’s wide-ranging exploration of the jazz repertoire. Kurt Weill’s Speak Low, written for the Broadway musical, One Touch Of Venus, was a 1943 hit single by Guy Lombardo & His Orchestra. In spite of that dubious pedigree, the song was frequently performed by singers including Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett, as well as instrumentalists like Chet Baker, Booker Ervin, Woody Shaw, and dozens of others. The Fukumori trio has a lot of fun with the song, starting out pretty briskly and really surging into high gear after Fukumori and an energized Nussbaum trade fours. The glacial opening to the solo piano medley of Chopin’s Prelude No. 28 and Jobim’s How Insensitive is slightly jarring at first, but the piece showcases the delicacy of her touch. Similarly, the rubato introduction to Fats Waller’s immortal Jitterbug Waltz belies the elegantly swinging rendition that follows. The song has been recorded 525 times since 1942 according to Tom Lord’s online Jazz Discography, and yet, in the right hands, it always sound brand-new. Nussbaum shines here, matching wits with Fukumori, and shadowing Whipple’s tasteful solo with some lovely brushwork. Closing the generously long program is Nicholas Brodszky’s Be My Love in a graceful solo performance by Fukumori. Eternity And A Day is genuine pleasure from beginning to end, and it is warmly recommended. Summit DCD 838; Michika Fukumori (p) Steve Whipple (b) Adam Nussbaum (d); Brooklyn, NY, August 5, 2023; Another Tomorrow/ Eternity and a Day/ Acoso/ Our Future (Reiwa)/ The Light of Dawn/ Port (The Departure)/ There is Always Light/ Speak Low/ Prelude Op. 28, No. 4 - How Insensitive/ Jitterbug Waltz/ Be My Love; 70:22. www.summitrecords.com

 
    When a well-traveled and highly praised master musician like bassist Buster Williams writes that Tommaso Perazzo & Marcello Cardillo “are two truly gifted musicians” and takes the time to record with them, it makes sense to take a listen. Pianist Perazzo and drummer Cardillo were joined in New York by Williams to make the satisfyingly swinging Portrait Of A Moment. The trio jumps right in with a Perazzo original, Back at the Right Spot!, and they surely are at the right spot. The pleasures of listening to this piano trio grow as they delve into a few more originals, a pair of Williams’ compositions (the lovely ballad Christina and Where Giants Dwell), Wayne Shorter’s frequently played Footprints, and Mulgrew Miller’s Soul Leo. The deep and soulful spirit of the ensemble comes through loud and clear on every piece. Williams writes that he “so much enjoyed making this record ... I hope you the listener enjoy it also.” Here’s one listener that’s loving every minute. Recommended. Red RR123354; Tommaso Perazzo (p) Buster Williams (b) Marcello Cardillo (d); NYC, June 14, 2023; Back at the Right Spot/ Alba Sur Mare/ Kind of Blues/ Christina/ Where Giants Dwell/ Footprints/ Soul Leo/ Ricordi/ For Wayne (bonus; digital only); 45:58. redrecords.it

 
    The tireless pianist Satoko Fujii has a new project, the Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio. Dream A Dream is the group’s first studio album after two live sets. As is often the case with prolific composer/instrumentalists, the line between composition and improvisation is blurred to the point of unimportance. It’s the chemistry of the collective that becomes the key to grasping the intent of the music. Bassist Takashi Sugawa and drummer Ittetsu Takemura are preternaturally attuned to Fujii’s emotional range and her dynamic approach to performance, and it makes for a deeply intriguing and adventurous set of performances. By turns quiet and moody or brash and excitable, these five pieces stretch the concept of the piano trio with surprising and gratifying results. Second Step begins with a dazzling display of piano mastery. That’s followed by a jagged bass interlude and then a hushed floating feeling is established only to lead into a triumphant-sounding and rising melody that is soon splintered and ... well, you get the idea. Fujii’s compositions for trio are journeys in sound that start in one place and go through a lot of changes before coming to an end. I’m particularly taken with drummer Takemura’s eccentric playing on the title track, inspiring bassist Sugawa into an extended rapturous solo. Fujii’s piano darts in and out of the music, eventually taking over the piece with a delicate solo that gradually increases in intensity as bass and drums hover around her. And there’s a lot more in this almost 19-minute piece. Sometimes it’s the silences embedded in the performances that are most telling, providing an element of suspense and anticipation. I’ve been listening to a lot of Paul Bley’s music lately, and Fujii’s studies with Bley still reverberate in her approach to the piano thirty-one years after they recorded a series of piano duets. Dream a Dream is heartily recommended. Libra 203-079; Satoko Fujii (p) Takashi Sugawa (b) Ittetsu Takemura (d); Paris, France, May 22, 2024; Second Step/ Dream a Dream/ Summer Day/ Rain Drop/ Aruru; 56:31. www.librarecords.com

 

    Stargazer, recorded in 1980, was veteran pianist Armen Donelian’s debut as a leader. While it’s not typical for a first album to feature all original compositions, Donelian had the expert assistance of bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Billy Hart in navigating the intricacies of his tunes. Originally made for Atlas Records in Japan, Sunnyside Records has now reissued the date and added Queen of Light, a previously unreleased performance. The set leads off with the title track, a tune that Donelian has revisited many times since this premiere performance. You couldn’t ask for a more sympathetic bass and drums team back then, and both Gómez (who turned 81 recently) and Hart (now 84 years young) are still making strong contributions to jazz. In addition to their abilities as astute accompanists, both Gómez and Hart are stirring soloists. Gómez was a member of the Bill Evans trio for over a decade, where he soloed frequently to great effect. The only non-original on the album is Free at Last, a lightly grooving collective improvisation which features Donelian and Gómez simultaneously soloing over Hart’s steady beat. The mellow ballad Southern Belle is distinguished by a dense and playful Gómez solo. Donelian is totally enjoyable on his Love’s Endless Spin, an upbeat samba that gallops along with Hart and Gómez providing stellar support. Hart solos with brushes to lead off Monday, which develops into a high-spirited three-way conversation. The delicately playful waltz Silent Afternoon concluded the original release. Queen of Light, the bonus track, is vaguely funky, with a strong solo by Gómez. If a jazz piano trio fan were to listen to Stargazer without knowing anything about it, she might say it was recorded last week or last year or maybe twenty or thirty years ago. Stargazer, reissued forty-five years after its initial release, is a sturdy session of piano jazz, and a reminder of the timeless pleasures of the format. Sunnyside SSC 4039; Armen Donelian (p) Eddie Gómez (b) Billy Hart (d); NYC, April 15, 1980; Stargazer/ Free At Last/ Southern Belle/ Love’s Endless Spin/ Monday/ Silent Afternoon/ Queen of Light; 47:54. sunnysiderecords.com

Jeong/Bisio Duo : Morning Bells Whistle Bright

     The Jeong/Bisio Duo is pianist Eunhye Jeong on piano and Michael Bisio on bass. For their debut release, Morning Bells Whistle Bright, the pair is joined on several tracks by Joe McPhee on tenor saxophone and Jay Rosen on drums. On the first four tracks, the intrepid duo demonstrates their intense connection, achieved after only one previous duet concert. Joe McPhee was at the show. His tenor powers Drinking Galactic Water with his commanding presence and deep experience with totally improvised music. The sensitive Rosen introduces Morning Bells Whistle Bright with a bright wash of cymbals, exquisitely captured by Jim Clouse at his Park West Studio in Brooklyn. The moods of this improvising assembly of musicians range from peaceful to jittery. The back cover reads that all tracks “collectively composed spontaneously by the musicians,” and sometimes it can be hard to believe. For one example, on the second half of Morning Bells Whistle Bright, the quartet finds a groove and sticks with it. McPhee, taking his saxophone up into the stratosphere and down to the deep bottom, duels with an unperturbed Jeong on Disclosure. It’s usually the case that it isn’t very helpful to describe albums like Morning Bells Whistle Bright with any kind of description of what the musicians seem to be doing. Although utterly serious, there is a light-hearted and playful approach by the Jeong/Bisio Duo and friends that makes this a bracingly enjoyable (and relatively long) listening experience. Definitely recommended. 
    The storied ESP-Disk’ label has had a few slogans since it was started in 1963, including “you never heard such sounds in your life” and “the artists alone decide what you will hear,” but I think the latest is the best: “If you don’t like ESP-Disk’s releases, that’s your fault.” 

ESP-Disk’ ESP5095; Eunhye Jeong (p, exc on 9) Michael Bisio (b exc on 8) Joe McPhee (ts on 5-7, 10) Jay Rosen (d on 5-10); Brooklyn, NY, March 8, 2023; 1.Pont Expands to World/ 2.And Then She Was There/ 3.Dusts into Substantiality/ 4.Points Multiply Constant Beauty/ 5.Drinking Galactic Water/ 6.Morning Bells Whistle Bright/ 7.Disclosure/ 8.Jaybird/ 9.Superpreternatural/ 10.Coda for Tomorrow; 73:30. espdisk.com

John O’Gallagher: Ancestral

     “Who’s the drummer?” is often the first thing I want to know when I look at a new release. When I glanced at the cover of alto saxophonist John O’Gallagher’s Ancestral, and saw the names of two exceptional master percussionists, Andrew Cyrille and Billy Hart, plus guitarist Ben Monder, I knew I was in for an exciting musical experience. And so it has proved. Cyrille and Hart have never recorded together before, but their collective spirit and breadth of experience makes the double drumming and the unusual quartet instrumentation sound totally natural. All the compositions are by O’Gallagher, and their open-ended nature gives the players plenty to work with. O’Gallagher’s powerful voice on alto, which sometimes reminds me of late Art Pepper, is never less than thrilling. His imaginative solo style draws on his own decades of playing in a wide variety of contexts and his immersion in late-period recordings of John Coltrane. The compelling Altar of the Ancestors is a clear homage to the glorious duets with Rashied Ali on Coltrane’s Interstellar Space. That’s just one standout among many. The stately and elegant Profess is another. Monder and O’Gallagher play the theme loosely together, then the saxophonist straps in for a passionate and urgent solo. All the while, Cyrille and Hart are churning and roiling underneath. Monder tosses out an exciting solo, spurring the drummers’ on and being stimulated in turn. Another highlight is Quixotica, a mournful ballad that puts O’Gallagher out front with the melody caressed by Monder’s quietly sympathetic lines and carefully restrained drumming. Everybody cuts loose on the improvised Postscript which closes the CD. Monder’s playing on the session ranges from clean chordal passages to electronically altered explosions of sound, and pretty much everything in between. From the photos from the session, it appears that everyone was playing together in the same space, and without headphones. It might be an old-fashioned way to record, but when the musicians are totally in sync with one another, it’s a method that often yields superior results to a more isolated studio situation. The deeply impressive Ancestral testifies to that approach. Warmly recommended. 

Whirlwind WR4840; John O’Gallagher (as) Ben Monder (g) Andrew Cyrille, Billy Hart (d); Montclair, NJ, no dates specified; Awakening/ Under the Wire/ Contact/ Tug/ Profess/ Altar of the Ancestors/ Quixotica/ Postscript; 44:39. whirlwindrecordings.com

Bill Coon: Standard Elegance

     The title of veteran guitarist Bill Coon’s latest CD tells it all: Standard Elegance. Wielding either an archtop electric guitar or an acoustic nylon-string version, Coon offers solo renditions of eleven selections of well-known standards, plus one original (the charming Fall Rain at Night) and what you might call a modern standard, the Lennon-McCartney penned And I Love Her. Coon’s technique is impeccable, and the smoothness of his sound belies the complexity of his approach to solo playing. That may be a another way of saying that he makes it sound easy. Any way you put it, the music of Standard Elegance is warm and intimate, and a pure pleasure to listen to. 

Cellar CMF121225; Bill Coon (archtop electric & nylon-string guitars); Burnaby, BC, January & August 2024; All the Things You Are/ Yesterdays/ And I Love Her/ But Beautiful/ I Cover the Waterfront/ Prelude to a Kiss/ East of the Sun/ The Nearness of You/ How Deep is the Ocean/ Nuages/ Fall Rain at Night/ Here’s That Rainy Day/ We’ll Be Together Again; 48:18. cellarlive.bandcamp.com

Jussi Reijonen: sayr: salt thirst (in the studio) & sayr: kaiho (in concert)

     Finnish guitarist and oudist Jussi Reijonen spent a day in the studio to record sayr: salt thirst, a solo performance on steel-string acoustic guitar. Sayr is Arabic for “course” or “motion”, a metaphor for “ a musical pathway unfolding through improvisation in a memory palace of sound,” according to Reijonen’s website. There was just one take of about 40 minutes to take up both sides of an Lp, split into two “suites” titled salt and thirst. At the beginning of salt, his main influences seemed to be John Fahey at his most devotional and Robbie Basho. The music here is meditative, intimate and calming. The next section, sarvi (‘horn’ in English) is fragmented and atomized, though equally intimate, as if the listener is allowed to intrude upon Reijonen’s guitar musings. Then I noticed that in the booklet for this release, Reijonen cites Lightnin’ Hopkins, Ali Farka Touré, Paco de Lucia, Hamza El Din and others “for leaving us trails.” Clearly his influences are broad and partake of many styles and approaches to string instruments. The playing is impeccable, the recording is transparent, and it all makes it easy to get lost in ths music. Totally improvised, and quite lovely as well. Recommended. Unmusic UNCD12025/UNLP12025 ; Jussi Reijonen (performed on steel-string acoustic guitar in one improvised take); Helsinki, Finland, March 1, 2025; salt (sola/ sarvi/ sae/ keinu)/ thirst (koto/ kuori/ kaarna/ säe/ kiedo/ aina/ ennen); 40:00.

    Six months later, Jussi Reijonen brought his guitar and oud to play in the same personal spirit for an audience in a small space in Helsinki. The Black Box seats between 220 and 350 people, depending on the room’s configuration. The name of the venue is perfect for the live improvised nature of sayr: kaiho (roughly “longing” or “nostalgia” in Finnish). The “input” is Reijonen’s vast array of influential music, as filtered through an individual personality. The “output” of course is the music that we’re hearing. But how this happens is a bit of a mystery, perhaps even to Reijonen himself. Two sets of instant compositions that make a stunning matched pair. Unmusic UNCD22025/UNLP22025; Jussi Reijonen (steel-string acoustic guitar, oud*); Helsinki, Finland, September 19, 2025; halla (kuura/ pihka/ suisto/ kaaripeili/ sarvi)/ fes* (irti/ iki/ eri)/ vielä (entä); 42:14. www.jussireijonen.com

Sarah Wilson: Incandescence

     Trumpeter Sarah Wilson’s latest release is the always fascinating and often beautiful Incandescence. Wilson’s original compositions are intricate and develop in idiosyncratic pathways. The perfectly poised sextet of Mara Fox on trombone, Kasey Knudsen on alto sax, John Schott on guitar, Liza Mezzacappa on bass, with Jon Arkin and Tim Bulkley sharing drum duties, gives her smartly crafted arrangements a spirited workout. The combination of the charts and the assured ensemble work gives the aural impression of a larger group than just six pieces. Everyone gets a chance to solo, with the imaginative Wilson and the veteran Bay Area guitarist Schott prominent. But as strong as the solo work is, for me, it’s really about the ensemble passages and the ever-shifting blend of voices. Solo passages turn into duets and lead into further permutations within the ensemble. From the start of Architecture in Space I found myself captivated by Wilson’s music, which seems to invite the listener to come in and explore. Standout tracks include the joyful title track with its high-life feeling, the stately and somber Music Appears to Stand Still, the unusual Lullaby, featuring John Schott in a playfully abstract mood, and the moving Echoes Refrain, which closes the set in style. Highly recommended. 

Brass Tonic; Sarah Wilson (tpt) Mara Fox (tbn) Kasey Knudsen (as) John Schott (g) Liza Mezzacappa (b) Tim Bulkley or Jon Arkin* (d); Oakland, CA, April 13-14, 2024; Architecture in Space/ Incandescence/ Hopeful Sorrow/ Music Appears to Stand Still/ Epilogue/ Jubilant*/ Dancing with Cierra*/ Fully Unfolding*/ Lullaby*/ Trifecta/ Echoes Refrain; 45:11. www.sarahwilsonmusic.com 

Zack Lober: So We Could Live

     Catchy melodies and a profound sense of creative joy infuse So We Could Live, the second release by bassist Zack Lober and his NO FILL3R ensemble. Adding tenor saxophonist Jasper Blom to his trio with trumpeter Suzan Veneman and drummer Sun-Mi Hong increases the range of sonic possibilities while retaining the brisk interplay within the band. With the well-established Blom on hand, Lober acquires not just a new voice in his group, but another composer. Lober and Blom split song-writing duties for this effort, along with one standard. One of the real highlights of the set is Lober’s busy and emotionally fraught solo bass medley of his original Dad, played in a medley with Consuelo Velázquez’s Besame Mucho. Veneman’s clear trumpet sound and her thoughtful and elegantly constructed solos make a nice contrast with Blom’s grittier tenor and more angular approach to his solo excursions. Lober and drummer Hong are beautifully matched, with a seemingly intuitive link that establishes a firm rhythmic foundation for the music to develop. Hong is generally content to keep things moving without calling much attention to herself, but when she does step out on Blom’s hard-bop flavored Feathered Head, she contributes an appropriately vigorous solo. Lober’s title track concludes the session with an inspired composition that leaves this listener with a calm and peaceful feeling. So We Could Live is definitely recommended. 

ZenneZ ZR2025015; Suzan Veneman (tpt) Jasper Blom (ts) Zack Lober (b) Sun-Mi Hong (d); Hilversum, The Netherlands, April 22 & 23, 2025; Joe Type Tune/ Behind a Myth/ The Loose End/ Vignette/ Dad; Besame Mucho/ Landscape/ Feathered Head/ So We Could Live; 37:56. zennezrecords.com