If anyone subscribes to the inadequate belief that jazz is the “sound of surprise” then Tricotism is not the group for you as they unashamedly tread a path laid out by Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass and Ray Brown some decades ago.
This is the second album from the threesome, who avoid too close a comparison to their inspiration by throwing in a few tunes which wouldn’t necessarily be the obvious choices for this line-up, the programme being top and tailed by bebop pieces in the shape of Nostalgia by Fats Navarro and Superjet from Tadd Dameron’s pen, with Tom Harrell’s Moon Alley also in the mix.
There are a couple of disappointing selections in OP’s L’Impossible and Love Ballade, neither holding any great merits by comparison to the standard material on offer, even if the Ballad Medley (each title showcasing the trio’s individual members) does plod a bit until pianist Milverton gives a little new life to I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good.
Allowing for a few reservations, in general this serves as a decent outing for a well-integrated group giving the highly respected guitarist Nigel Price a further chance to display his agile skills in a style relating to some of the finest pickers of the 50s and 60s. This in no way denigrates the musicianship of Milverton and Suchodolski who are clearly dedicated to the ethos of this configuration.
Discography
Nostalgia; Devil May Care; The Man I Love; L’Impossible; Love Ballade; Lullaby Of The Leaves; Moon Alley; Ballad Medley: I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You / I Can’t Get Started / I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good; The Big Sleazy; Superjet (72.00)
Craig Milverton (p); Nigel Price (g); Sandy Suchodolski (b). 11-12 March 2019.
