When three globally-renowned jazz musicians perform together on stage in a special concert, the resulting album can only be a pearl, capable of conquering all genre enthusiasts.
This is the case with the Peter Erskine European Trio – Live in Genova, an album consisting of three different volumes and epitomizing all the magic of contemporary jazz, available as of today from the Analogy Records’ catalog.
Peter Erskine certainly needs no introduction – the eclectic sound of his drums is famous across the worldwide jazz scene and even beyond, considering the many years he spent with a band that is the icon of 1970s jazz fusion, the evergreen Weather Report. The American drummer is the pivot of the latest project of this magical trio, which also includes the extraordinary pianist Rita Marcotulli and the versatile double bass of another legendary jazz artist: Swedish Palle Danielsson.
The three volumes making up the album, which was recorded in Genoa (Italy) in July 2014, are a snapshot of a tight band that knows how to jam and happily indulge in breathtaking improvisations as well as delicate, intimate moods, thereby creating a warm, softly embracing – but never show-offish sound blend.
Erskine’s drums add a bright, vibrant touch to the whole album, while Marcotulli’s piano is like a sound mantra that sets the pace for the buzzing improvisations of Danielsson’s soft double bass.
The first volume opens with a highly hypnotic, enthralling composition by Marcotulli: La Strada Invisibile – a sophisticated dialogue between notes and instruments that really makes the listeners hold their breath. Other great tracks follow, including minimal jazz ones, such as Mars, by Danielsson, or the up-tempo, complex Worth the wait by Erskine, which is introduced by a soft, contagious drums solo.
The concert’s mood pervades all three volumes and reaches its most intimate moment in Night Fall, which opens volume 2 – a composition by Charlie Haden, a great jazz double bass player that passed away just a few days before the concert was recorded.
If you love jazz and, particularly, its live dimension, Peter Erskine European Trio – Live in Genova is an album you really can’t miss.
Listen to music samples
1. Night Fall (Charlie Haden) |
2. Everything Is Not (Rita Marcotulli) |
3. Pannonica (Thelonious Monk) |
