COMPOSERS: Enrico Pieranunzi
LABELS: Challenge
ALBUM TITLE: Live in Paris
WORKS: Live in Paris
PERFORMER: Enrico Pieranunzi (piano), Hein Van der Geyn (bass), Andre ‘Dédé’ Ceccarelli (drums)
CATALOGUE NO: CHR 70126 (dist. by Ace)
Live In Paris
(2 discs) £ £ £
Pieranunzi is a prolific recording artist, but this generous offering of two hours of trio music, recorded in the Parisian club Le Duc Des Lombards in 2001, catches him on a creative high. While he has the aristocratic touch which seems to hallmark a generation of European pianists, he is more outgoing and songful than most, and the melodious feel of his writing –
‘One Lone Star’, for example – is very personal to him. Van der Geyn and Ceccarelli aren’t the subtlest team he’s worked with, but they introduce an almost funky feel – the warm-up tune ‘Ouverthree’ evolves so compellingly across nine minutes that it’s almost disappointing when it winds down before switching into a lovely ‘Body And Soul’. The two sets mix standards and originals seamlessly; and if the sound isn’t as good as it might be, with the bass often recessed, the music is strong enough to overcome such shortcomings. Richard Cook