Mira

2014 release from the Jazz trio. After the eruptive excitement of their Live at Belleville album, which was widely praised around the world, the trio now delivers a studio album. In Oslo's Rainbow, bassist Arild Andersen, tourist Tommy Smith and drummer Paolo Vinaccia re-channeled their music's energies into a program of soulful ballads and mid-tempo free-floating sound explorations. The pairing of Andersons muscular bass and Smiths vaulting tenor is exceptionally compelling (as the recent Celebration album also confirmed). Most of the tunes on Mira are from Arild's pen, though his cohorts also contribute material, and there is an unexpected interpretation of Burt Bacharach's 'Alfie', beautifully played by Tommy Smith here.