JAZZ

Latest CD releases reviewed.

DANILO PEREZ
Live at the Jazz Showcase Artistshare
****

Panamanian pianist/composer Perez delves into his Latin heritage and blends it with jazz in this wide-ranging take on the jazz piano trio format with longtime colleagues Ben Street (bass) and Adam Cruz (drums). Material by Thelonious Monk, Stevie Wonder, Perez and Street mingle with songs from Panama and Cuba, as well as spontaneously improvised pieces by the trio. The results, though they may not be to everyone's tastes, are shot through with a sense of discovery and excitement. Frequently the written material is merely a jumping-off point for increasingly free explorations; solos become intense three-way dialogues, sometimes working to climax a performance without recourse to a reprise. It's distinctive and assured - and available only on the internet at www.daniloperez.com

Ray Comiskey

PETER MARTIN
In the P.M. Max Jazz
***

Pianist Martin is currently MD for singer Dianne Reeves and, with Reuben Rogers (bass) and Greg Hutchinson (drums), provides her backing trio. A child prodigy who could play the violin before he could speak, he's blessed with a fleet, fluent technique, lovely touch and, as several tracks with guest singer Erin Bode reveal, a superior talent as an accompanist. Standards and originals, with pieces by Stevie Wonder and trombonist JJ Johnson's beautiful Lament, are the trio's repertoire here, and they're well done, with an assured sense of form and a beguiling swing. However, accomplished though the pianist is, there's little feel of a distinctive musical personality at work, except perhaps on ballads, which seem to give his innate musicality freer rein. www.maxjazz.com

Ray Comiskey

PARTISANS
Max Babel
***

Partisans are a British quartet comprising the marvellous young guitarist Phil Robson, multi-reedman Julian Siegel, bassist Thad Kelly and drummer Gene Calderazzo. This, their first release since their acclaimed debut five years ago, is an homage to the great innovative American drummer Max Roach. As such, it's a mixed bag, not entirely successful, combining straight-ahead bop, jazz-rock and a sort of funk 'n' groove. Perhaps "combining" isn't the right word, since individual performances tend to be in one idiom or the other. Calderazzo and Robson are impressive; the others, including some guests added on a few tracks, less so.

[ www.babellabel.co.uk ]

Ray Comiskey