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Triessence

Catch the Wind

Zah Zah ZZCD 9822

Containing eleven pieces by Bill Evans, played by a trio comprised of saxophone (Mark Allaway), piano (Nick Tomalin) and bass (Dominic Howles), this album takes as its starting point the idea that Evans ('arguebly [sic] the most influential jazz pianist of the twentieth century') had an 'improvsatory [sic] style mixing a jazz swing feel with classical colouration', producing 'music that was lyrical and rich in harmonic invention'.

Fortunately, the trio's musical skills are a great deal surer than their label's proofreading: Allaway has a warm, often warbling sound on his saxophones, hardening into an almost Getzian steeliness as required.

Tomalin, while not possessing Evans's extraordinary dynamic control and subtlety, is an inventive soloist with a particularly strong but not intrusively percussive left hand; Howles has a soft, cushioning bass sound that supports his partners perfectly, but which blossoms into rich life during his solo excursions.

The trio's material ranges from the hauntingly meditative ('Peace Piece') to the more upbeat ('G Waltz', 'In April'), but whatever they're playing, they're admirably focused and sensitively interactive, producing an unfussy but enjoyable and absorbing album.