Together, Vol. 2 (Live At Sweet Basil)

Volume two of Jean-Michel Pilc's live Sweet Basil series delivers another powerful dose of unbridled invention. This pianist knows how to probe the guts of the standard tunes, whether they're oldies like "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Tea for Two" or more modern staples like "My Funny Valentine" and "All Blues." With the dependably virtuosic assistance of bassist François Moutin and drummer Ari Hoenig, Pilc puts his august creative signature on everything he plays, often guiding his colleagues toward torrential climaxes of harmonic and rhythmic discovery. Put simply, this is one of the most exciting trios working. And Pilc can write, too. The originals this time include the off-kilter Latin "262" (not to be confused with Coltrane's "26-2"), the bracing set-closer "Together" (which includes an extended reference to Charlie Parker's "The Hymn"), and a solo piano miniature called "My Köln Concert" (a nod to Keith Jarrett's famous 1975 recording). Pilc's fast treatment of "All Blues" presages what he would do later on his Welcome Home album with "So What," another masterpiece from Kind of Blue. ~ David R. Adler, Rovi