New Piano Trios

Pianist-composer Glenn Zaleski plays it more straight ahead on his fourth outing as a leader, Star Dreams (Sunnyside). Accompanied by his working rhythm tandem of bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Willie Jones III, Zaleski opens with a bouncy take on Harry Warren’s “I Wish I Knew” (famously rendered in sublime tones on John Coltrane’s Ballads) that reveals his rhythmic confidence and playful touch. The trio turns in a tasty rendition of Cécile McLorin Salvant’s “Monday” (a tune Zaleski played frequently while touring in the singer’s band), then they swing forcefully on Charlie Parker’s “Passport,” which features the pianist in a virtuoso solo section, covering the sax legend’s intricate, chops-busting line before bass and drums join in to swing that bebop staple. Elsewhere, the trio delivers an appropriately jaunty version of Horace Silver’s “Opus de Funk” and two heartfelt ballads in the leader’s homage to Wayne Shorter (“Wayne”) and their delicate take on the Jimmy McHugh classic, “I’m in the Mood for Love.”

Spanish pianist-composer Álvaro Torres focuses on improvisation and spontaneity on his third release as a leader, Iris (Sunnyside). Joined by veteran bassist John Hébert and venerable drummer Barry Altschul, who turned 80 at the time of this recording, the New York-based Torres pursues a thoughtful, searching mode on “Old and New,” then takes things in a spikier direction on the more bombastic, freewheeling “West Harlem.” The angular, bluesy title track might be called avant-stride while the fractured “Carla’s Ingredient” has the feel of Carla Bley’s frantic “King Korn.” Torres’ freewheeling “On Broadway” is as much a showcase of the octogenarian drummer’s brushwork as it is the composer’s melodic ingenuity while Altschul is turned loose on the kit with sticks for an extended drum solo at the outset of the explosive, Ornette-ish “The Good Life.” Propelled by Hébert’s steady walking bass lines, Torres plays it slightly more inside on “You Dig?” And the trio’s swinging take on Bud Powell’s “Celia” walks a fine line between reverence and reinvention.

Up-and-coming Hartford, CT-based pianist Andrew Wilcox, a 2020 graduate of the Hartt School of Music, brings a fresh perspective on Dear Mr. Hill (Truth Revolution Recording Collective), his thoroughly engaging debut as a leader. From his surging swinger, “Muir Woods,” to his sparsely appointed and introspective “Mary,” the urgent and angular title track (a tribute to pianist and role model Andrew Hill) and the lyrical waltz “Snow Queen,” Wilcox is capably supported by veterans and mentors Avery Sharpe (longtime bassist for McCoy Tyner) and drummer Yoron Israel. Together they also turn in highly personalized readings of the standards “Stella by Starlight” and “Old Devil Moon,” both with an ear toward reharmonization and playful rhythmic re-invention. Their forcefully swinging performance on Wilcox’s “Onyx Warrior” is an exclamation point on this impressive first outing.

A different approach to the piano trio is presented by Tone Forest, featuring pianist Miro Sprague, 7-string classical guitarist Jason Ennis, and upright bassist Marty Jaffe. On their self-titled debut (Outside In Music) they travel from the sprightly Brazilian forró “Oasis” to a gently introspective “A Wave Away,” to the mood-shifting, uplifting three-part suite “The Mother Tree,” all with a genuine group-think. Jaffe’s arco work carries the melody on the crystalline “Pendulum” before he engages in contrapuntal conversation with pianist Sprague against Ennis’ hypnotic arpeggiating. Sprague’s through-composed melody in the B section, played in unison by bassist and guitarist, shifts the direction of this evocative piece. The droning, meditative “Quiet Lake” has a gentle, New Age vibe to it while the closing number, Sprague’s angular, chops-busting “Whirligig,” based on the chord changes to the jazz standard “You Stepped Out of a Dream,” finds Ennis switching from 7-string to more convention 6-string archtop guitar. A versatile, impeccable triumvirate.

The most seasoned player in this roundup is Grammy-winning pianist Geoffrey Keezer, a former Jazz Messenger in the late 80s who also toured and recorded with Ray Brown, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, and David Sanborn. On Live at Birdland (Markeez), his 24th as a leader, the accomplished pianist is joined by bassist John Patitucci and drummer Clarence Penn on a set of tunes by his two late heroes, Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter. From their ruminative reading of Shorter’s “Dance Cadaverous,” which opens with a three-minute solo piano extrapolation by the leader, to their Zen-like take on the late saxophonist’s “Virgo’s Rising-Cathay” that builds to a heightened crescendo, to a vivaciously swinging take on Corea’s “High Wire—The Aerialist,” this outstanding trio is truly on one accord. Patitucci switches from upright to electric bass on a lush reading of Shorter’s potent “Flagships,” then turns in a virtuosic performance on bowed bass to open Corea’s stirring “Eternal Child” before it shifts from rubato ballad to Latin-flavored romp midway through. They venture outside a bit on Corea’s cinematic “Imp’s Welcome,” then engage in some playfully interactive conversations on an extended extrapolation on Shorter’s “Joy Ryder,” title track of his provocative 1988 album. A powerful and heartfelt homage to two fallen heroes who live on through their music.