Catalysis

The music on this CD is a bit of a surprise. Pianist Phil Markowitz is perhaps best known in jazz for his lyrical and melodic playing years ago behind Chet Baker. He has also worked with Phil Woods, Joe Williams, Joe Lovano, David Liebman, and Ravi Coltrane, among others. On Catalysis, Markowitz interacts with his regular trio, contributing harmonically adventurous originals that inspire the musicians to create complex improvisations. Somehow the three players generally think as one, for the music is often dense and always unpredictable. None of the melodies are destined to become standards, for the harmonies and the interplay between the musicians are much more memorable than the themes. The ballads tend to be brooding, the hotter pieces move purposefully in unexpected places, and "Undercurrents" masterfully utilizes repetition. Although the music on Catalysis may seem a bit forbidding the first time around, repeated listenings reveal a great deal about the special musical communication that consistently takes place between the players. Catalysis is well worth exploring.