Matthias Bublath - Orange Sea [CD]

After almost a decade as a freelancer in New York, various solo and sideman projects, a Hammond trio and his celebrated and award-winning Eight Cylinder Big Band, the Munich pianist Matthias Bublath is now filling the classic syntax of a jazz piano trio with vital vocabulary. His stylistic "éducation transatlantique" plays a not insignificant role here: from gospel to Latin and funk, Bublath can spell out various jazz influences; but with the new trio we are also entering a pop culture associative reverberation room. <p>Bublath has his improvisational freedom secured by two colleagues who are stylistically at least as flexible. Peter Cudek, the Slovak bassist, agile, original and not averse to the melody and subtle virtuosity. And Christian Lettner, newly appointed professor for percussion in Munich, a long-time member of Doldinger's Passport and a sought-after drummer for countless projects ranging from jazz and classical percussion to pop and R&B, who can also allow blurriness in favour of the organic. <p>'Orange Sea' - it could be a sunset on the American west coast, but also the reflection of napalm from the burning forests on the waters of Vietnam. Superficially almost a chorale, but in concept melodic straight-ahead jazz with a post-modern approach: stylistically each number stands for itself, as an album they result in an ambiguous and open fabric.