Trioism

Re-released months after 2005's superb I HAVE THE ROOM ABOVE HER, TRIOISM features the same lineup as the former album but dates back to 1994. Guitarist Bill Frisell, saxophonist Joe Lovano, and drummer Paul Motian are all leaders in their own right, masters of their instruments, and deservedly revered. But this in no way resembles the standard all-star album full of flashy showboating and overly long solos. Instead, this set of all Motian originals offers up deeply introspective, impressionistic music, with the trio representing the paragon of subtle, intuitive group chemistry.

The opener, "It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago," is a case in point. Quiet and spacious, the composition floats on Lovano's lilting, dream-like sax phrases and the sometimes-warm, sometimes-jagged sustained tones of Frisell's electric guitar, while Motian creates a shifting landscape of rhythm with his skittering accompaniment.

Other highlights include the light, ghostly ballad "Monica's Garden" and the modal romp "In Remembrance of Things Past" (with sax legend Dewey Redman sitting in for Lovano). From front to back, TRIOISM is elegant, meticulously crafted, and gorgeous; it's a testament to the possibilities of the trio format, and of jazz itself.