| |
|
Anthony Coleman's trio is one of many NYC-based groups in recent years to explore combinations of jazz and traditional Jewish music. Unlike most, the "Jewish" element comes from Sephardic (Spanish) music rather than Klezmer or other Eastern European forms; the "jazz" part comes mainly from the time-honored piano trio format. Tying it all together is the pianist's feel for the long history of Spanish/Latin elements creeping into jazz -- from Jelly Roll Morton's "Bert Williams" to Thelonious Monk's "Bye-Ya" (both of which the trio has covered). This may all sound like the formula for a stale musicology project, but that hasn't been the case. For one thing, the music's components (dark Spanish tonalities, Latin and Bop rhythms, Jewish traditional melodies, Free Jazz-inspired interplay) flow together in a seamless, uncontrived fashion. Second, the performances really seem inspired, and the various moods -- whether playful or tragic and brooding -- come across as deeply felt.
|
|
