This has turned out to be quite a year for piano trios. 2003
has seen the release of the Keith Jarrett Standards Trio’s
Up For It, McCoy Tyner’s Land of Giants,
Ahmad Jamal’s In Search of Momentum, Chick
Corea’s Rendezvous in New York (which features
trio work along with other configurations), the Tord Gustavsen
Trio’s Changing Places, and Jacky Terrason’s
excellent Smile. To those discs must be added the
newest release from French pianist Jean Michel Pilc, entitled
Cardinal Points.
Although Pilc often leads a trio, seven of the twelve tracks
on Cardinal Points feature the addition of soprano
sax work by Sam Newsome. The rhythm section varies as well,
with bassist James Genus playing on eight of the tracks, and
Francois Moutin taking over the bass chair for the final four,
an extended composition entitled “Trio Sonata.”
With the exception of a version of Duke Ellington’s
“Mood Indigo,” all of the tracks on Cardinal
Points are original Pilc compositions.
On last year’s trio release, Welcome Home,
Pilc, along with Moutin and and drummer Ari Hoenig (who plays
on all tracks here as well) the group concentrated on jazz
standards and well known compositions such as “So What,”
“Stella By Starlight,” and “Giant Steps,”
turning them inside out and creating new and original vehicles
for Pilc’s improvisations. Cardinal Points emphasizes
many of the same features of Pilc’s playing that Welcome
Home did, including a sharp attack and a penchant for
playing with time. Those tendencies are apparent with the
opener, “Fred’s Walk,” as the pianist often
allows his elegant phrasing to lag just slightly behind his
rhythm section. At the same time, there is a meaty, muscular
quality to Pilc’s playing that is at odds with what
many would expect from a European sensibility. That’s
not to say that his playing lacks finesse; nothing could be
further from the truth. But there is a certainty to his playing
that is generally only to be heard in the best and most original
players. Think of Bill Evans, of Chick Corea or Keith Jarrett—it’s
not that Pilc sounds like any of these musicians (though their
influence can be heard at various times), but like them he
is able to create a musical language that is very much his
own.
Though Pilc is possessed of an amazing piano technique, which
was highlighted on Welcome Home, on Cardinal
Points he subdues that technique in the service of creating
a unique group sound and in the service of his compositions.
There are basically two suites of compositions here (as well
as some smaller compositions)—the four compass points
that make up “South,” “West,” “North,”
and “East” (presented in that order), and the
four sections of “Trio Sonata,” which features
the Jean-Michel Pilc Trio heard on Welcome Home.
“South” features some outstanding percussion work
by Abdou M’Boup and finds Pilc building a polyrhythmic
fantasia that makes use of fairly simple melodic and harmonic
material. “North” is more meditative and features
Newsome’s soprano work.
The “Trio Sonata” is the most focused work on
the album, and presents a strong case for the popularity of
Pilc’s trio work. The opening section, set against a
drum and handclap loop, gives way to a swinging section that
allows Pilc and bassist Moutin to redefine the piano/bass
relationship in ways that are often as startling as those
pioneered by Bill Evans and Scott LaFaro. By Part 3 things
get denser, with the trio sounding nearly telepathic, as each
member at times seems to be playing a different rhythmic figure.
Still the whole thing remains coherent and exciting throughout.
Moutin opens the final section with a solo that Hoenig and
Pilc truly accompany, supporting the bassist ably but never
taking attention away from the lines he is playing.
The “Trio Sonata” ends the album on a very high
note, and leaves one wishing to hear much more of the trio
work. Though the compositions on the rest of the album are
interesting and present a unique voice, there is an uneven
quality about it. In addition, Sam Newsome’s soprano
playing often sounds jittery and doesn’t step out front
enough to warrant the inclusion of a horn. One senses that
Pilc is ready to move beyond the amazing work that he’s
been doing with his trio, but at times it seems that he doesn’t
quite know where he wants to go next. Ultimately Cardinal
Points may end up being a transitional work for Pilc,
one that will allow him to blend his compositional style with
his ability to reinterpret the standard jazz repertoire. That
is hinted at by the interpretation of “Mood Indigo”
that is included here, the only composition written by someone
other than Pilc. The group toys with the building blocks of
the composition, not stating the melodic material in a straightforward
fashion and reworking much of the harmonic material as well.
It’s a fresh interpretation and one that bodes well
for Pilc’s future.
Cardinal Points has its flaws, but it is a wide-ranging
statement by a musician who has found his own voice, both
on his instrument and compositionally. There is real jazz
here, played by a group (or two groups, actually) of musicians
who listen carefully to what they are doing and who are willing
to take risks. That is more than can be said of a great deal
of the music that passes for jazz these days, and there is
no question that Jean-Michel Pilc is one of our major jazz
pianists. For listeners seeking music that can sustain them
through repeated listening and who demand intelligence and
originality in their jazz, Cardinal Points is an
excellent choice.
