117 Ditmas Avenue

With so much focus on American jazz artists, the discovery of promising Europeans like pianist Kasper Villaume is a special treat. Joined by bassist Jesper Bodilsen and veteran drummer Jeff Tain Watts (a veteran of both Wynton and Branford Marsalis' rhythm sections, as well as being a bandleader himself), Villaume's second CD for Stunt opens with his superb post-bop vehicle "Please Enter-Tain." He teases his listeners with a disguised vamp to set up his romp through "Seven Steps to Heaven," showcasing Watts' formidable skills. His brisk setting of George Shearing's "Conception" alternates between bossa nova and bop. Villaume's introspective interpretation of Herbie Hancock's "Toys" is also memorable, while the trio's effective performance of a chestnut like "Caravan" also manages to find new territory to explore. Kasper Villaume is clearly deserving of wider international recognition.