Album Review: Essence from Ryan Daunt Trio

-

Album:  Essence
Artist:  Ryan Daunt Trio
Label:  Self-Released
Website:  https://ryandaunt.bandcamp.com/album/essence

Pairing the intensity of classical piano with the kinetic interplay and magnetic charm of improvised jazz, the Ryan Daunt Trio, led by drummer Ryan Daunt, bring audiences their latest offering Essence.  Laden in a variety of harmonic forms, pianist Tristan Wills and bassist Nick Abbey join Daunt on 11 tracks that illustrate their expressive leanings.

The trio truly channel their thoughts and personalities into the music, showing a strong sense of what they want to say and how they want to portray their phrasing.  The title track especially gives audiences the impression that each musician performs independent of the others while also displaying a shared awareness of one another, forming a multi-faceted dialogue.  The cool jazz strut of the rhythmic beats trotting along "Lux" exhibit the playful side of the trio to audiences, keeping the improvised patterns light and airy.

Wills's playing turns intense through "Soup and Tea" while Daunt's pounding on the drums and shimmying cymbals accentuate the expressive phrasing driving the track.  The laid-back treads of "A Walk with You" soften the recording to a series of low-lit glimmers while "Bad Maths" ignite a sharp intensity in Daunt's drumming reminiscent of the power pop fusion of Mannheim Steamroller.  The prayerlike tone of Wills's keys strolling along "Slow Burn" is supported by Daunt's and Abbey's steady beats.  Their communication is kinetic and their interplay magnetic.

A graduate of Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with a first class honors degree in Music, majoring in jazz performance, Ryan Daunt shows an enthusiasm that is palpable.  With all tracks written by Daunt, the trio's latest offering illustrates their tendency to freely express themselves.  Their variety of harmonic forms stretch their independence and exhibit an ability to improvise while delivering a shared awareness of one another.

Musicians:
Ryan Daunt - Drums
Tristan Wills - Piano
Nick Abbey – Bass


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: Becoming Marlene Dietrich from Myriam Phiro

-
Image
Album:  Becoming Marlene Dietrich Artist:  Myriam Phiro Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.myriamphiro.com Smooth jazz vocalist Myriam Phiro introduces a new generation of music listeners to jazz standards that made Marlene Dietrich famous in her time from the 1920's to 1940's with Phiro's new release Becoming Marlene Dietrich .  Although Phiro immerses herself in melodies that had been Dietrich's trademark tunes, Phiro tailors the songs to her likeness.  Her illustrious mezzo-soprano register is higher on the vocal spectrum than Dietrich's contralto pitch, which stamps the tracks with her own unique nuances and inflections.  Her treatment of the verses is finessed with a distinctly soft, feminine touch and a delightfully, hypnotic resonance, setting her style apart from Dietrich's. Her vocals cradle the lyrics of "Quand L’Amour Meurt," written by Georges Crémieux and Octave Millandy, with a warmth that penetrates the listener's soul as Hyuna Park...
Read more

Album Review: The Ways In from James Zollar

-
Image
Album:  The Ways In Artist:  James Zollar Label:  Label: JZAZ Records Websites:  https://www.rsberkeley.com/james-zollar https://www.discogs.com/artist/954763-James-Zollar https://wyntonmarsalis.org/personnel/detail/james-zollar A straight-ahead jazz oeuvre, The Ways In from bandleader and trumpet player James Zollar resumes a quest where pioneers of the trumpet's sympathetic vibrations like Clifford Brown and Bill Coleman left off.  Zollar shows audiences the delightful, melodious tone of the trumpet, moving in harmony with an array of brass, woodwinds, and rhythm instruments. The robust wails of Zollar's trumpet strutting languidly along "Do Nothing 'till You Hear From Me" emotes an enduring personable trait, unwavering persistence in the face of being dejected.  The recording switches to a joyful atmosphere in "Swing Spring" with jangly beats from percussionist Chembo Corniel, interfacing with the buoyant ripples generated by Michael Rorby's trom...
Read more

Album Review: Globetrotter from Luca di Luzio

-
Image
Album:  Globetrotter Artist:  Luca di Luzio Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.lucadiluzio.it   Guitarist Luca di Luzio's upcoming CD, Globetrotter  is an assortment of contemporary jazz tunes bridging funk, blues, soul, and Latin music.  Comprised of a few jazz standards and a handful of original works written by Luca di Luzio, a prolific guitar player who studied different styles of music, the recording expresses his personal vision of jazz guitar based on melody and groove.  Joining Di Luzio in his vision are bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Dave Wecki, keyboardist George Whitty, and saxophonists Max Ionata and Alessandro Fariselli. From dance-funk numbers like "Jazzlife" and "Elisir" to the soft billows and reflective moods projected in "Smile" and " Buena Suerte," Di Luzio's artistry stems from his vision to make music that is aesthetically pleasing.  "Sunshower," a tune written by Kenny Barron, is a pr...
Read more