Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ted Moore Trio: The Natural Order of Things

Ted Moore Trio: The Natural Order of Things

By Jack Bowers
June 5, 2020
View read count

Ted Moore Trio: The Natural Order of Things

A piano trio led by a drummer? While that may not always be The Natural Order of Things, it is here. The drummer is the veteran

Ted Moore

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Ted Moore, his teammates the talented pianist

Phil Markowitz

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Markowitz and rock-solid bassist

" data-original-title="" title="">Kai Eckhardt. Moore composed and arranged (almost) all of the music, which enlivens themes from Brazil and Spain, embraces the classical canon, and embodies earnest tributes to

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea and

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis /

Joe Zawinul

keyboards
1932 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Zawinul.

The qualifier "almost" is needed owing to the inclusion of "Simple Gifts," written by Joseph Brackett and inserted by composer Aaron Copland into his Appalachian Spring suite. Moore wrote the other seven selections, starting with the incisive minor-keyed title song, which affirms from the outset that the enterprise is to lean heavily on alertness and teamwork. Markowitz cruises all over the keyboard, his dense chordal voicings underlined by Eckhardt's resonant bass and Moore's resilient timekeeping. The mood lightens on the Spanish-tinged "El Prado," which leads to the bright and charming "Waltz for Chick" (Corea) and the emphatic, shape-shifting "Beyond Silence" (Moore's homage to Davis and Zawinul) with Markowitz on Fender Rhodes. The trio veers to a more straight-ahead groove on "What's the Meaning of This," and surveys the lustrous rhythms of Brazil (Moore's home for two years) on "Amorzinha" before lending "Simple Gifts" a swinging framework that is far removed from Copland's more classical design. The bright and frisky "Theme and Variation in Db," a showpiece for Markowitz's darting piano, stamps a bold exclamation mark on the session.

While The Natural Order is Moore's first recording as leader of his trio, this is hardly his first walk around the block. He has honed his craft for years on gigs both here and abroad, and has performed with a host of jazz luminaries from

Stan Getz

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Stan Getz and

Marian McPartland

piano
1918 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Marian McPartland to

Herbie Mann

flute
1930 - 2003

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Mann and

Joey DeFrancesco

organ, Hammond B3
1971 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Joey DeFrancesco, among others. Even with that resume, it pays to have friends like Markowitz and Eckhardt in your corner when it comes time to put that experience on the line. A piano trio led by a drummer? Not such a strange idea after all.

Ted Moore: drums, percussion; Phil Markowitz: piano, Fender Rhodes (4); Kai Eckhardt: bass.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

The Natural Order of Things; El Prado; Waltz for Chick; Beyond Silence; What��s the Meaning of This; Amorzinha; Simple Gifts; Theme and Variation in Db.

Personnel

Ted Moore

drums

Phil Markowitz

piano

Kai Eckhardt

bass, electric

Album information

Title: The Natural Order of Things | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Origin Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Africa Today
< Previous

Stillefelt
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.