"I once described Thelonious Monk's original recording of 'Ruby My Dear' as 'sentiment without sentimentality'. Enrico Pieranunzi's playing and compositions have that same quality in their own way. No doubt he is both a romantic and a deep thinker. The combination of heart and mind is a most valuable amalgam in any art form. The blend is mixed differently by each individual. Pieranunzi's is a heady brew whose aromatic essences draw you in. They make you think. More so, they make you feel." - Ira Gitler
Enrico Pieranunzi (piano), Marc Johnson (bass), Joey Baron (drums) Recorded live in Rome 28th November 2001 This is another collection of elegant minor key melancholy from the trio that brought us the excellent "Plays Morricone" a few months back. Performed in front of a live studio audience this recital is made up entirely of original pieces composed mainly by the pianist but with a couple of individual contributions by his colleagues and two pieces of collective improvisation credited to the trio as a whole. If, like me, you appreciate introspective, intelligent piano jazz of the Evans, Jarrett, Mehldau variety then this record will sit happily within your collection and be deemed a most satisfactory purchase. If I have any reservations it is because the melodies don't quite match the drama and pathos of the Morricone pieces and pale a little in comparison, furthermore some like "Alle Rive Lontane" and "If Only For a Time" with their literary allusions, though beautiful at a superficial level have a vacuity at their core which represents a triumph of style over substance. It is, however a varied programme and though Peiranunzi may favour languid, floating phrases he still makes room to swing as in "Ravels Walk", Johnson's take on "So What" in which the trio demonstrate their impressive hand in glove rapport. Here block chords and bluesy phrasing contradict everything I've said so far. All the trio's combined virtues are brought together in "Illusions Market", a title lifted from a newspaper article. It has a rolling country blues feel and the best way I can convey an impression of the piece is to ask you to imagine a meeting between Floyd Cramer and Bud Powell. "Simul" is a lilting waltz-like exercise in the superimposition of major and minor keys with beautifully restrained drumming from Baron whilst "What's Really Going On ", being an allusion to the troubled headlines of the world press, is a spiky "Glass Enclosure" type theme employing dissonant chords ending in a free jazz section with arco bowing from Johnson and somewhat more feverish work at the traps. "Joey's Magic Tricks" and "Trio Reflections" are two more pieces in this vein the latter having a super walk on part for Johnson who demonstrates yet again that he is one of the great contemporary bass players. The record ends with another swinger, Joey Baron's "Broken Time" Starting out in conventional 4/4 an exciting Brubeckian tension emerges between the three instrumentalists and these time and tempi variations are accomplished with such élan that one realises that if this group sticks together and get the exposure they deserve they will soon be earning a place in the piano trio pantheon. Recorded in front of rather restrained audience (not a single whoop, holler, whistle to be heard) both sound and playing time is excellent as is the Super Jewel Box packaging favoured by Cam Jazz. - Euan Dixon
Tracks
01. How Can You Not? (E. Pieranunzi)
02. Alle Rive Lontano (E. Pieranunzi)
03. Ravel's Walk (E. Pieranunzi)
04. Illusions Market (E. Pieranunzi)
05. Simul (E. Pieranunzi)
06. Night After Night (E. Pieranunzi)
07. Joey's Magic Tricks (Pieranunzi/Johnson/Baron)
08. When You Look At Me (E. Pieranunzi)
09. What's Really Going On (E. Pieranunzi)
10. If Only For A Time (E. Pieranunzi)
11. Trio Reflections (Pieranunzi/Baron/Johnson)
12. Broken Time (Joey Baron)
ENRICO PIERANUNZI piano
MARC JOHNSON bass
JOEY BARON drums
Recorded in Rome on 28 November 2001 at Sala B, RadioRai Rome
C.A.M.Jazz - CAMJ 7756-2