COMPOSERS: Various
LABELS: 33 Jazz
ALBUM TITLE: Mike Gorman Trio
PERFORMER: Mike Gorman (p), Jeremy Brown (b), Matt Skelton (d)
CATALOGUE NO: 65
The Maze is pianist Mike Gorman’s first trio recording and it’s an impressive debut. He has chosen some unusual standards, and some jazz pieces – Sonny Rollins’s ‘Airegin’ and Charlie Parker’s ‘Quasimodo’ – that are rarely played by pianists. He’s a consummate performer and also an excellent composer, playing four of his own pieces including the title track, which is lyrical, mysterious and climaxes with a dazzling keyboard display. His ‘Rising’ has a Gospel tinge reminiscent of Keith Jarrett and receives a heartfelt performance. Brown and Skelton are a superlative rhythm section and this is a fine album.