Artist.......: John Roney Trio
Album........: Rate Of Change
Label........: Effendi Records
Genre........: Jazz
Catnr........: FND060
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Dec-16-2006
str.date.....: Mar-07-2006
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: n/a
track title time
01. Older Now 04:46
02. Motivation 06:19
03. Inertia 05:07
04. Go 05:24
05. Piano Segue 02:33
06. Don't Go 06:31
07. Rate of Change 06:52
08. Waitlessness 04:16
09. Re: Motivation 07:33
10. Third Degree 07:41
Runtime 57:02 min
Size 81,4 MB
Release Notes:
Le pianiste John Roney aime les univers intimistes,
et il le prouve sur cet album ou il a convie pour
le seconder ses grands amis Zack Lorber et Jim
Doxas. En passant de Toronto a Montreal, il a aussi
gagne en maturite et en puissance de feu
(Motivation) tout en elaborant des univers
intimistes d'une grande sobriete (Older Now, digne
de Bill Evans). Lumieux, pointilliste et tres varie
rythmiquement, Roney joue avec la plenitude de ses
moyens, en lorgnant de-ci de-lα vers les lumieres
mesurees de la musique de chambre (Inertia). Pour
ce premier album en leader, Roney a place une barre
qualitative tres en hauteur.
Since moving from Toronto in 2001, pianist John
Roney has climbed the ladder of the Montreal jazz
scene with remarkable speed. For the past couple of
years his trio with bassist Zack Lober and drummer
Jim Doxas has been hosting the Montreal Jazz
Festival's late night jam sessions, and it would be
difficult to find a better group for the gig. Rate
of Change, Roney's second disc as a leader, is the
first to feature his current trio and receive
significant distribution.
Revealing remarkable maturity for three players not
yet in their thirties, this program of Roney
originals draws from various sources, but it's
largely informed by an ECM-like aesthetic.
Recalling the freedom of pianist Bobo Stenson,
Inertia builds gradually from a stasis that
nevertheless has a distinct sense of melodic
purpose, finally resolving into harmonic and
rhythmic motion in its final minute. Go directly
references British pianist John Taylor's
Clapperclowe, from drummer Peter Erskine's You
Never Know (ECM, 1993), ultimately shifting into a
solo section that swings harder than Erskine's more
rarefied trio ever did at least on record.
The trio's ability to dig in a little harder
distinguishes it from both Stenson's and Erskine's
ECM recordings. And while the modernistic yet
distinctive harmonic approaches of Stenson and
Taylor are clear precedents, Roney also goes
directly back to the source of both: Bill Evans.
Motivation and its reprisal, Re: Motivation,revolve
around the three over four rhythm that was an Evans
trademark. Third Degree is a more complex amalgam,
its rhythmically-staggered head reminiscent of Brad
Mehldau, but the minor blues of Roney's solo more
direct. The contrapuntal classicism of the title
track's theme also feels more Mehldau than Stenson,
Taylor or Evans.
Still, while it's possible to pick out those who
have influenced Roney, he's no mere imitator. Roney
may be less densely-clustered than Taylor, less
explicitly virtuosic than Mehldau, less abstract
than Stenson and inherently more harmonically
evolved than Evans. But pieces of each come
together in a more immediate approach that also
places a strong emphasis on clear form and a
graceful lyricism that avoids the obvious.
The trio's deep chemistry evolved through time and
working together in various musical contexts
results in simpatico moments that are often felt
more than heard. Doxas is a particularly fluid,
responsive and dynamic player who can be either
explicitly propulsive or implicitly suggestive.
Lober more Haden than Holland keeps things simple
during his few brief solos, but is all the more
effective for it.
With nothing to prove, there's an appealingly
subtle unpredictability at the core of Roney's
trio. Rate of Change is a conversational encounter
where a shared comfort level actually allows the
trio to view nothing as off-limits.