click on a category below...

> CAREER HIGHLIGHTS - PHOTOS - REVIEWS - RESUME

>> CHURCH OF LOGICK - HOWL - JEWEL IN THE LOTUS - GREEN TROMAN STREET - A LOVE SUPREME - BOOK OF THE LAW

This is an excellent release from this British trio. Apparently they have worked with many other groups in their separate capacities and it was the idea of the people at The Fiddle And Bone in Birmingham to bring them together for this recording. It was obviously sheer inspiration on someone's part as the group perform as if they had been doing nothing else for a long time.

The first thing that struck me about this disc is the fact that it is not just a piano trio playing a set of standards as most Jazz followers will have heard ad nauseum. What occurs here is a carefully thought out and intricately arranged series of performances. Each item is given a fresh slant and to do this successfully with such chestnuts as "My Funny Valentine" and "Autumn Leaves" is no mean achievement - the amount of planning that has gone into this album is quite remarkable. The trio have the ability both collectively and independently to have approached this date in the conventional manner of such groups, that they chose not to is praiseworthy indeed.

The repertoire here is a mix of standards, Jazz classics and originals -the derivation of the title track should be quite clear !

It is enjoyable to hear such lesser known pieces as Joe Henderson's blues "Isotope" with its angular lines and interesting rhythmic structure and it is one of the highlights,to my ears, in this set. Troman's own compositions form an interesting and well balanced complement to the better known pieces. Surely this is the best format for an album as it introduces new material to the listener whilst presenting a body of more familiar work.

Instrumentally the players are all out of the top drawer. Indeed my earlier comment about it being a British group is purely geographical as they could more than hold their own with their American counterparts. Steve Tromans is a fluent modern pianist with a wealth of ideas and roots in many of the earlier players including Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner. Mike Green produces a full sound on the bass and is an adept soloist. Steve Street is that rarity amongst drummers in that he has the ability to contribute fully and tastefully to the whole -he also has the gift of sitting back and just ticking along to keep the ensemble tight. The real strength of this release, however, lies in the way that the three musicians work together to produce a well blended and exciting whole.

- Dick Stafford