The Simon Moullier Trio adroitly reinvents a number of familiar jazz compositions and a couple of standards on their beautifully realized debut Countdown. A lineup of vibes, bass, and drums is not that common; more often than not, there’s a piano or guitar included to make it a quartet. But vibraphonist Moullier and his bandmates Luca Alemanno on bass and Jongkuk Kim on drums seem perfectly at home in the trio configuration. The combination of the unusual setting with relatively well-known material makes for a special listening experience. Especially fine are the two Thelonious Monk tunes, Work and Ask Me Now, Charles Mingus’ immortal ode to Lester Young, the much-recorded Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, and the trio’s bouncy look at Jerome Kern’s The Song Is You. The hard-driving drummer Kim is impressive throughout the set, keeping things moving smartly. His featured role on Tadd Dameron’s Hot House is a delight. The steady Alemanno acts as a fulcrum between the drums and vibes, with a couple of exceptional solos along the way, while Moullier’s bright vibes sound and his astute sense of melodic invention lead the way. Countdown is an elegantly creative and rewarding release.
Fresh Sounds New Talent FSNT-622; Simon Moullier (vbs) Luca Alemanno (b) Jongkuk Kim (d); NYC, May 2020, except *Los Angeles, CA, November 2017; Countdown/ Work/ I Concentrate On You/ Goodbye Pork Pie Hat/ Nature Boy/ Turn Out the Stars/ The Song Is You/ Beijo Partido/ Hot House/ *Ask Me Now; 41:26. www.freshsoundrecords.com
No comments:
Post a Comment