The piano trio repertoire has been mined to exhaustion, so it is refreshing to hear an original take played as well as this one. Calling themselves Jan Trio 98, the Italian group consists of pianist
Claudio Cojaniz, bassist Piero Leveratto and drummer Nello da Pont, all of whom jump through the hoops of the leader's tunes. The nine pieces often swing hard, but the complex harmonies, sudden shifts in tempo, block chords and flirtations with dissonance attractively wrap the trio in unique garb. Each piece winds down a crooked path, with plenty of surprises along the way. Melody is never discarded, but more often than not is merely hinted, with subtle allusion. Leveratto's bass never strays, with some spectacular solo work, and drummer da Pont generally stays tastefully in the background. This one worth searching for. ~ Steve Loewy