Album Notes

All About Jazz Review:

Some trios feel like amputated larger ensembles. Consequently, any group dubbing itself a such might be greeted with skepticism; oftentimes merely suggesting the number of people in the band, rather than the equal distribution of artistic contribution. The Anders Vercelli Trio eschews such false advertising; every member of this collective plays an important role in solidifying the group's sound. In fact, each musician is given numerous opportunities to dance under the Klieg lights.

On "They Can't Take That Away from Me," Mike Connors' shuffling drums inject Anders Vercelli's giddy piano with a loose, barely containable sense of motion. The unrestrained, infectious joy which the band demonstrates while playing together—even when dusting off a classic from the '30s—moves the heart as well as the feet. The Sunday afternoon stroll, "I'll Know," finds the group tackling more subdued fare with similarly dazzling results. There are no lazy or unimaginative performances here; each cut is given the same amount of affection and attention.

The swinging "Great Big Hand" is particularly breathtaking, especially Vercelli's sunlight-bright piano and Connors' kinetic drumming. "But Beautiful" further reveals the trio's youthful exuberance, as Blake Marquez's thundering bass blows sparks with Connors' hyper drums and Vercelli's rollicking piano. Greatly embellished by Marquez' seductive bass, "That Sunday That Summer" and "My Ship" charm with their soothing textures and dinnertime ambiance. "The Party's Over" sways with the self-confidence of tightly knit musicians in the grip of a seriously happening melody.

Two of Just Ahead's compositions are originals: "Jane's Waltz," which is as pretty as the night shedding its darkness into the break of dawn; while "Song for Shadow" ends the record in hushed optimism, probably flushed with the promise of better days Just Ahead.