Trios offered no great surprises in the tracklist, being a Thelonious Monk-like revisitation of earlier compositions. But like Monk, this just underlines how durable and outstanding Bley's iconoclastic body of work as a writer is. The three lengthy suites here, with two shorter tracks upfront, might largely date back to the 80s, but they're cast afresh here as gorgeous immersions in sumptuous chamber jazz. The simple palette of Bley's piano, Swallow's nimble bass guitar and Sheppard's breathy sax make for nothing short of a masterpiece that lets the strength of the writing and playing stand centre stage, and is a delight to return to over and over.
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Carla Bley at SGTG:
