Bruno
Heinen (piano/Fender Rhodes); Andrea Di Biase (bass); Gene Calderazzo (drums)
(Review by Chris K)
Make no mistake, some
clever and significant stuff here from the Professor
of Jazz Piano at Trinity Laban. Heinen’s erudition is well
established: his parents worked with Stockhausen in the 1970s, and a
previous album saw his sextet work over Stockhausen’s Tierkreis (12 Signs
of the Zodiac). With the pianist’s roots in impressionist classical
music, this album is a suite using the same
eight Hungarian folk melodies used by Bartók for his 1920
Op. 20, 8 Improvisations.
So,
you might imagine my trepidation listening to this new CD, and new
trio, for the first time – thanks Lance!
My fears
were confirmed by the first track, What Happens Now?,
with sparse and repetitive piano over free drums, held together by
the smoother bass of classically trained Di Biase, who also has
a top pedigree in European jazz, having been part of Kenny Wheeler’s last
group.
The second, Devils’ Ditty, is also far from
straight ahead, with a nursery-rhyme scale tossed
between piano and bass and twisted in time and structure,
building to a frenzied drums and bass work out. Fool in the Grave stretches
to long sections of arco bass, stretching my patience in the
process.
The
Wave, followed working a
conversation between fragmented bass and
piano over militaristic snare patterns from the lively
Calderazzo.
The second four
tracks are a revelation though – and much easier
listening, thank God! Look Before You Leap reprises the
scale motif, but this time with a groove and lively counterpoint between Fender
Rhodes and bass. Past/present showcases Heinen’s distinctive playing style: blocky
chords interspersed with right hand chords and runs – all in dreamily
shifting metres, yet retaining a groove.
The best is kept till
last: the final tracks are up there with the most engaging and
beautiful you could hope to hear. Mirror indulges
Heinen’s solo piano, with limpid meanders evoking a
pastoral Kit Downes. The closer, Homecoming, is a skipping and
swirling romp in five (and/or seven?!) with the
band intimately locked in to the catchiest tune
you could imagine – most unexpected after the early numbers!
Optimistically, the
band plan to tour, passing through Gosforth Civic Theatre
on Thursday 2 July although that remains to be seen. I’d certainly give them a go on the basis
of the second half of this album!
Chris Kilsby
Release date: 22.05.2020 Heinen Records HRBHCD01
Recorded September 2019
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