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Ism: Maua
By
Lennie Tristano
piano1919 - 1978

Lee Konitz
saxophone, alto1927 - 2020

Warne Marsh
saxophone, tenor1927 - 1987

Pat Thomas
pianob.1960

Joel Grip
bass, acoustic
Antonin Gerbal
drumsOn Maua (meaning flowers in Swahili), the outfit's fourth album, they once again pay homage to the history of the piano trio, but not the repertoire. Instead, they frolic unhindered through styles in an improvised flow which contains whiffs of

Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974

Thelonious Monk
piano1917 - 1982
The triumvirate form a familiar team, also being 75% of the wonderful Ahmed. Although their take on the canon is rather less radical, they similarly commit to a group ethos in which the three instruments largely conform to their customary roles, with Thomas out front and Grip and Gerbal laying down a swinging groove. As a consequence, this must be one of the best settings to hear the pianist display his in-the-tradition chops. Even so his imagination roams wild, and he certainly does not avoid the sorts of percussive hooks entertained in his more experimental guises. Grip and Gerbal faithfully adhere to a foot tapping but varied accompaniment, though instantly alert to any stylistic shift from the keyboard.
While Thomas might have some classic in his head, what escapes from the keys is inevitably skewed, glistening with a touch more dissonance than might be expected, or reveling in a jagged phrase hammered out for much longer than might be comfortable. Then there are the dazzling passages which occur almost in passing, like the series of mini glissandos coaxed midway through the title track. Later a sequence of treble register minimalism hints at early

Cecil Taylor
piano1929 - 2018
At just over six minutes, "Niloo's Dream" is more compact, beginning as a slightly hazy piano rumination, before Gerbal's shuffling brushes and Grip's harmonious counterpoint ease it into ballad territory. Thomas fashions the sort of melody you might think you have heard before but can't quite place, with further Monkish tinges, before a charming close. Ism might just be the gateway drug to free jazz for those who do not inhale. ">
Track Listing
Maua; Niloo's Dream.
Personnel
Album information
Title: Maua | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: 577 Records
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