Piano Trios, Part 1: Petrucciani, Williams, Harris Jr., Hoefner

The relatively simple design of the classic piano trio lends itself to an almost endless stream of interpretative approaches. Every year there are new players, new songs, and fresh combinations of musicians and material to entice and entertain fans. 2019 was no exception, with more than a few notable releases.

But first let’s go back to the Eighties, where the fabulous trio of Michel Petrucciani, Gary Peacock, & Roy Haynes were recorded on a European tour One Night In Karlsruhe. Bassist Gary Peacock has proved to be a perfect piano trio partner as a member of the Keith Jarrett trio since 1983. Drum master Roy Haynes, still going strong at the age of 94 (!), fits in beautifully in any context at all. The stellar pianist Michel Petrucciani performed with a number of strong partners before his untimely death at the age of 36, and this unit was one of his best showcases. For this show, the band takes a lengthy excursion into well-loved standards (There Will Never Be Another You, Embraceable You, and My Funny Valentine), a pair of famous jazz songs (Ellington’s In a Sentimental Mood and Coltrane’s Giant Steps), and five Petrucciani originals. The trio’s solid commitment to hard swinging and dynamic interplay is in evidence from the start. High points, and there are many of them, include the scorching bass and drum trades on There Will Never Be Another You, Peacock’s tasty solo on Embraceable You that provokes some lovely rhapsodic playing from Petrucciani, and the deliciously funky She Did It Again. The fiercely driven Petrucciani was in great form on this night, with superb partners on stage and a wildly appreciative audience. Recommended without reservation.
Jazzhaus JAH-476; Michel Petrucciani (p) Gary Peacock (b) Roy Haynes (d); Karlsruhe, West Germany, July 7, 1988; 13th/ There Will Never Be Another You/ In a Sentimental Mood/ One For Us/ Mr. K.J./ Embraceable You/ She Did It Again/ La Champagne/ Giant Steps/ My Funny Valentine; 77:34. www.swrmusic.de/index.htm

Drummer Jeff Williams leads a trio with pianist Carmen Staaf and bassist Michael Formanek on Bloom. Williams has worked with such notables as Stan Getz, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, and John Abercrombie. He’s been friends with Formanek since the Seventies, playing with him in New York and on a handful of albums over the decades. When Williams played a gig as a member of saxophonist Dan Blake’s band, with pianist Staaf as a sub, he says that he “felt a real connection with her playing” and so the next time he ran into Formanek, the idea for this trio was hatched. That it was a good idea is apparent from the start, as the trio runs down Scattershot to get the headphone mix set at appropriate levels, and it’s a complete take, tightly focused and admirably swinging. Throughout the session, Staaf’s playing sparkles. She’s consistently impressive, full of surprising turns in her soloing, whether she’s pushing ahead with great feeling (on Williams’ Scrunge - Search Me) or being dreamily atmospheric (on Formanek’s Ballad of the Weak). The redoubtable Formanek never fails to impress with his big sound, casual intensity, and astute note choices. Williams displays great control of the trio’s dynamics, and the music as a whole reflects his eminently tasteful style. Especially fine are Staaf’s bluesy New York Landing, a fresh version of Buster Williams’ sweet ballad Air Dancing, dating from the late Eighties, and the closing Chant, a peaceful landing after an hour of finely wrought creative music. Definitely recommended.
Whirlwind WR4737; Carmen Staaf (p) Michael Formanek (b) Jeff Williams (d); Astoria, NY, August 17, 2018; Scattershot/ Another Time/ Short Tune/ Scrunge - Search Me/ Ballad of the Weak / New York Landing/ She Can't Be A Spy/ Air Dancing /A Word Edgewise/Northwest/Chant; 60:37. www.whirlwindrecordings.com

Feeling down lately? Pianist Lafayette Harris Jr. is here to help, proclaiming that You Can’t Lose With The Blues. And you really can’t lose when your trio partners are bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash, and Houston Person is overseeing the proceedings at the Van Gelder Studio. Harris has a varied résumé, including studies with Kenny Barron and Barry Harris, a lengthy association with Ernestine Anderson, and he’s currently working steadily in Houston Person’s bands. The repertoire here is similarly broad in range, featuring a few well-chosen standards, tastes of Ellington (Things Ain’t What They Used to Be) and Charlie Parker (a smoking version of Bloomdido), modern R’n’B from DeBarge (Love Me in a Special Way) and “old school” sounds from Percy Mayfield (Please Send Me Someone to Love in a lovely solo treatment), and a trio of original blues compositions by Harris. The playing is spirited, the interplay is lively, and the blues feeling is strong from start to finish. If anybody tries to tell you that they don’t make music like this anymore, prove them wrong with You Can’t Lose With The Blues. Warmly recommended.
Savant SCD2178; Lafayette Harris Jr. (p) Peter Washington (b) Lewis Nash (d); Englewood Cliffs, NJ, May 3, 2018; He’s My Guy/ I Love You, Yes I Do/ Blues for Barry Harris/ Don’ Let the Sun Catch You Crying/ Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye/ Things Ain’t What They Used To Be/ Love Me in a Special Way/ Bloomdido/ You Can’t Lose With the Blues/ Wonder Why/ Please Send Me Someone To Love/ The Juicy Blues; 57:07. www.jazzdepot.com

The warm embrace of the Florian Hoefner Trio on First Spring is emblematic of the band’s well-balanced cohesion as well as the companionable material that pianist Hoefner selects or writes for them. Bassist Andrew Downing and drummer Nick Fraser are clearly on the same wavelength as Hoefner, happily improvising on folk song oriented material that’s a bit unusual for this context. First up is a reel, Rufus Guinchard’s Hound’s Tune. Guinchard was a fiddler from Newfoundland who passed away in 1990, and this simple song was originally played for dances. Hoefner’s arrangement adds some rhythmic complexity to the basic melody, leading to a stirring performance. Calvary, written by Byron Isaacs for Levon Helm’s 2007 Dirt Farmer album, is next in a soothing rendition with reharmonized verses featuring what Hoefner describes as “increasingly dramatic chords to preserve the slightly dark and raw atmosphere of the original.” Loosin Yelav was first an Armenian folk song adapted by Luciano Berio for a song cycle. Hoefner, who first heard it on a recording by Dawn Upshaw, has used Berio’s melody but written new chord changes in adapting it for the trio. Interestingly, that’s the reverse of the bebop revolution’s use of contrafacts to create new material. The result is a moody and subdued journey, delicately limned by the band. Bassist Downing’s smooth arco sound is featured on Short Life, the first of two songs by American folk performer Sam Amidon. The other is Rain and Snow, with an arrangement by Hoefner based on Amidon’s “colourful take” of a traditional song. Vital to the success of this session is the trio’s ability to stay convincingly on track at any tempo. On Hoefner’s original title song, and again on the bluesy closer, Rain and Snow, the pace is very slow, and yet the band is so tight that the groove stays intact. On faster numbers, like the zooming Solstice, an original dedicated to mandolin whiz Chris Thile, or the upbeat reconstruction of the folk song The Maid on the Shore, the trio is equally authoritative. First Spring is an immensely appealing piano trio session, heartily recommended.
Alma ACD83092; Florian Hoefner (p) Andrew Downing (b) Nick Fraser (d); Toronto, ON, July 4-5, 2018; Hound’s Tune/ Calvary/ First Spring/ Maid on the Shore/ Winter in June/ Loosin Yelav/ Short Life/ Solstice/ Rain and Snow; 59:48. almarecords.com