Michel Camilo :Triangulo

MICHEL CAMILO
Triangulo

Telarc

Michel Camilo's latest recording, Triangulo, is the same kind of straight-ahead jazz trio recording as last year's Chick Corea recording Past, Present and Futures, which is to say that it contains music that is solid and craftsman-like but still quite contemporary and never, ever boring. In short, just because you don't have to wonder whether Camilo is going to wander off into a free-form twelve-tone jam doesn't mean you won't be challenged as a listener.

Camilo brings many elements to his work, including the influences of pianists Corea, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett, and Erroll Garner as well as the musical inspiration of his native Dominican Republic. One of those elements is the use of rhythm, and in this Camilo is certainly assisted by his trio mates. Anthony Jackson provides basswork that both supports and spurs Camilo's playing, while drummer Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, who most recently recorded as part of Los Hombres Calientes, provides both solid post-bop drumming and Latin percussion effects with equal aplomb. Camilo's compositions, such as the delightful "Piece of Cake" or the beautiful ballad "Afterthought" provide the trio with a solid framework and plenty of work-it's not too hard to hear some of these compositions as big band arrangements, yet one never feels that the trio is lacking in its ability to use tonal colorations to put them across. That his work stands up well next to pieces like Ernesto Lecuona's "La Comparsa", Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma" or Chano Dominguez's "Mr. C.I." should be pretty indicative of the level of musicianship that Camilo commands.

"Anthony's Blues" features some McCoy Tyner-style chord voicing as well as recalling, at times, the second great Miles Davis Quintet with its restless rhythms and driving edge. Hernandez is in great form here, playing Latin-tinged rhythmic figures one moment, Elvin Jones bursts of energy the next, and rock-style pile driving the next. By contrast, the trio's take on Dizzy's "Con Alma" is warm and delicate, wafting between Latin rhythm and a straightforward swing, both completely comfortable.

Of course, Camilo has much more than rhythmic adventurousness going for him; he is also renowned as a highly skilled technician, the result of classical training as well as transcribing solos by John Coltrane and Charlie Parker and playing them with both hands. Though his technique is formidable, Camilo never sacrifices the musicality of his playing in order to demonstrate it. In short, the technical aspect of his playing is a tool that is used to such effect that it is often not going to be specifically noticed except as it relates to the overall effect. This is definitely something a lot of younger pianists could learn from Michel Camilo.

The disc ends with two original compositions, "Descarga for Tito (Puente)", which allows Hernandez a showcase for his high-powered drumming, and the hilariously titled "dotcom-bustion", a collaboration between Camilo and Hernandez. Though the piece is based largely on rhythmic variations and lacks some of the complexity of Camilo's other compositions, it ends the album on an upbeat note.

Michel Camilo has developed his playing and composing much since he was a member of Paquito D'Rivera's group, and if Triangulo is any indication, he will continue to be one of our most interesting musicians for some time to come. This disc marks Camilo's debut on the Telarc label, and here's hoping that association produces more fine recordings like this one.