The Billy Lester Trio Italy 2016

The Billy Lester Trio
Italy 2016
Ultra Sound Records

Yonkers, NY native Billy Lester recorded this latest recording (not sure if this is his seventh or eighth over 20 years) in Italy after meeting and touring with bassist Marcello Testa and drummer Nicola Stranieri starting in 2014. Lester grew up listening to the likes of Bud Powell, Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and Roy Eldridge while showing an affinity for piano as a young child. He was mentored by Sal Mosca and studied with Lennie Tristano, and he cites these two as his biggest influences. While under Mosca's tutelage, he studied and absorbed aspects of Lester Young's style.

One can certainly hear Tristano's influence in how Lester plays and develops his solos and the arhythmic sense of the rhythm section at times on this program of six originals, but his technique and drive in his playing also evokes Bud Powell's at times. This is a fascinating set of terrific piano trio music. "To Julia," a contrafact of the standard "Body and Soul," on which bassist Testa also solos while Stranieri keeps a fluid pulse going on the lengthiest of the performances here. The driving "Consolidation" is another strong effort by Lester and his trio, but all the music here is of a consistently high level on a superlative CD.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Billy Lester performing.

3Divas

3Divas
3Divas
self-produced

3Divas is an offshoot of the Diva Jazz Orchestra which is led by drummer Sherrie Muncie and also includes Orchestra members, Jackie Warren on piano, and Any Shook on bass. As a resident of the Mid-Atlantic, I am most familiar with bassist Shook, who is quite busy in addition to being part of this trio, but all three have impressive resumes as players, composers and educators.

The trio certainly has its very distinctive approach to the ballad "Beautiful Love," which quickly establishes the complete authority they have as they transform this. Warren certainly displays technique, touch, drive and imaginative invention while complemented by the other two. They then turn there attention to John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulders" that opens as an exuberant romp before Shook's bowed solo engenders a sober mood to close this performance. A lyrical "Tennessee Waltz" follows and then a jaunty "I Thought About You." Jobim's "Favela" opens wistfully before they launch a spicy latin groove and Warren dazzles here with Shook an anchor and Muncie crisp stick work and use of her cymbals accenting the torrid piano with Shook also soloing strongly and Muncie also generating fireworks. Warren opens "In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning" in a reflective manner before Shook takes a thoughtful bass solo with Muncie's deftly employing brushes and Warren spare runs and chord.

A fresh, dynamic take on the old Sonny and Cher hit "The Beat Goes On," based on Alan Baylock's arrangement of Sonny Bono's number, closes a marvelous recording by a superb trio.

I received as a download from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the September-October Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 374). Here are the 3Divas performing "The Beat Goes On."

Jon De Fiore's Yellow Petals

Drummer-composer Jon De Fiore leads his piano trio of bassist Adrian Moring and pianist Billy Test on a new recording, Yellow Petals (Third Freedom Music). The three have been playing together for four years resulting in the cohesiveness and empathy exhibited in playing De Fiore’s compositions that covers a range of settings and musical inspirations ranging from adaptation of a work by Chopin, to the musics of Spain and South Africa.

One can hear a definite influence of Bill Evans in the general tone of De Fiore’s trio with being a fluid, lyrical player while bassist Moring provides the axis for the trio’s interactions with De Foire himself quite a rhythmic colorist. The opening Demise, adapted from a Chopin prelude, provides little clue to its classical origins in the trio's inventive performance. The second composition Live For Tomorrow, Forget Today, is built upon a ostinato bass motif and De Foire’s shimmering cymbal work with some free,almost anarchic, piano from Test, along with dynamic drumming from the leader.

The music of Spain is the inspiration of Orange that opens with the leader’s intricate stick work that helps set the mood for Moring’s opening solo over the leader’s spare playing before fireworks in De Fiore’s solo and then Test. The spirited InKleined, is inspired by the Argentinean pianist and composer, Guillermo Klein,  who is a major influence on De Fiore. This performance exhibits the marvelous interplay between the three. Moring’s walking bass drives the spirited Where Does The Wind Blow, with Test generating plenty of heat as well.

The closing Yellow Petals, written in memory to De Fiore’s mother, is a moving and evocative performance which opens with spare solo piano before De Fiore and Moring join in with their own muted accompaniment and solo. It is a fitting end to a high-spirited, engaging piano trio recording

I received my review copy from a publicist.