Jazztimes April 2016

As a unit, this must be one of the best piano trios ever, and certainly as instantly recognisable as any of its great predecessors. Charlap’s touch on the keyboard is light, almost stealthy, even when playing full chords, but always firm, clear and beautifully articulated. With the spirited support of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington (famously unrelated), the total effect is just perfect. As always, Charlap’s playing provides convincing proof that it is still possible to create fresh but pertinent treatments of well-known standard songs. The son of a songwriter and a singer, he has an instinctive feel for the idiom. His versions here of I’ll Remember April and A Sleepin’ Bee are masterly.

Resonance Records, the leading outlet for high-quality, previously unissued archival jazz releases, delves deeper into the early, unheard work of the innovative and influential guitarist Wes Montgomery with its April 13 (LP) and April 19 (CD) release, Back on Indiana Avenue: The Carroll DeCamp Recordings.