Edward Simon

PoesíaCamJazz *****

Bill Evans once wrote of Wynton Kelly's ability to be spontaneous, yet instinctively organised musically. Edward Simon, a very different pianist, has that same gift for balancing intellect and emotion, and the creative tension of that yin and yang is a characteristic of his superb trio with John Patitucci (bass) and Brian Blade (drums). Coltrane's Giant Steps, radically recast in terms of rhythm and line (they keep the notoriously difficult changes), epitomises this in an original and compelling performance that is echoed elsewhere: in Winter, a lovely piece with contrasting strains; on a buoyant One for JP, on which Patitucci dubs electric bass; in the complexities of Intention; and the beautiful Roby and Poesía. In an essential release by one of the

finest trios in jazz right now, the trio pieces are framed by two absolutely gorgeous solo piano takes of Simon's My Love for You. www.CamJazz.com