The very first album I reviewed on BSH was back in 2010. Prior that it was all live gigs and there seemed to be lots of them both high and low profile. Paradoxically, sometimes the latter were better than the former - but that's life, the form book often goes out of the window whether it be jazz, sport, politics or getting run over by a taxi on a zebra crossing.
I digress, what I'm saying is that that first album was Shapeshifting by the Tim Richards Trio and here they are back again!
The personnel has changed and the thinking perhaps more forward looking but it's still a mini-blockbuster.
A couple of originals to start with, Four Aces and Metaphysics. I sense a lot of influences in the mix. Brubeck, Jarrett, Jamal, Ramsay Lewis and a few others. Not blatant plagiarism maybe even done unconsciously. Whatever, it's piano playing worthy of the grandmasters of the past by, arguably, a grandmaster of today.
Several of his actual favourite pianists and musicians are acknowledged in Richards' use of their compositions: McCoy Tyner's Atlantis; Kenny Barron's Sunshower; Mary Lou Williams' Free Spirits; Hampton Hawes' Sonora and Miles' Solar**.
Jobim's Wave and Ram Ramirez's Lover Man** along with three more Richards' originals: the Latinesque Pandeiro; Island Hopping and New Cross Blues complete the programme.
As well as the exemplary piano playing, bass and drums are equally outstanding. Keen, with that big, resonant, sound that only the best bassists manage to achieve, is an absolute tower of strength whilst on an album that is predominantly Latin based, Howard, even when he's swingin' like crazy still manages to maintain a samba/bossa feel that does no harm at all.
The album Four Aces is available on CD and vinyl* from November 30 as well as the usual outlets popular with commuters sitting next to me on bus or train from December 12. Unfortunately those misguided souls' choice of listening never seems to include the Tim Richards' Trio. If it did I might be more tolerant. Lance
* Richards commented that the last time he was on a vinyl record with Jack Walrath and the band Spirit Level. I remember hearing them at Newcastle's Corner House back in the mid-eighties.
** Not included on vinyl release.
No comments :
Post a Comment