Larry Bluth/Don Messina/Bill Chattin

July 18 - 25, 1 9 9 6 [Off the Record]

*** Larry Bluth/Don Messina/Bill Chattin

LIVE AT ORFEO

(Zinnia)

This trio have worked together in relative obscurity since 1982, but their dedication pays off handsomely on this intimate debut, a live set of heady music played from the heart. Students of Lennie Tristano's music, with its emphasis on uncluttered swing, attention to linear coherence, and harmonic sophistication, they play with relaxed assurance, warmth, and total involvement. Pianist Bluth probes and pushes his lines, sometimes chopping them into interlinking snippets of melody, at others rolling out lines of breathtaking length. His left hand is just as tricky as his right, injecting harmonically dense accents that alternately buoy his lines, goad them forward, or add weight or color to notes. Bassist Don Messina is also a marvel of offhand virtuosity. Throughout the album, he maintains continuity in his walking-bass lines, keeping their contours varied and interesting melodically without sacrificing swinging momentum. Drummer Bill Chattin shows admirable attention to dynamics, never upsetting the natural balance of sound within the group. He also displays a telepathic rapport with soloists, shadowing the accents of Bluth's lines with eerie accuracy. This is music made for the love of it.

-- Ed Hazell