Roberta Piket Trio: Love and Beauty

Pianist Roberta Piket likes to push the envelope a little, which makes Love and Beauty an interesting adventure. Piket is joined by her usual cohorts—bassist Ratzo Harris and drummer Billy Mintz—in this offering of original material and two standards.

Things begin with Piket's "I'm My Everything (loosely based on Harry Warren's "You're My Everything ), a piece that shows off her skill with a contrapuntal element as well as Mintz's right-on drum work. Another original, "For Uncle Harvey, is a lovely waltz, played wistfully and enhanced by Mintz's subtle brushwork. The title track, a ballad by Mintz, is a sensitive piece that could well be movie score material and features some beautiful Harris arco. Mintz also contributes "Destiny, sung by Piket, the "closet singer, as she describes herself. Her voice has almost no vibrato and a languid quality which works well with this ballad. The track also features a lyrical solo by guest Rich Perry on tenor saxophone. Two of Piket's other originals ("Alone, Alone and "Claude's Clawed ) are bop-oriented and display able piano chops and tight trio interplay.

Piket has a different treatment for each of the two standards. She completely deconstructs Jimmy Webb's "Up, Up and Away, playing the lyrics and reharmonizing the chords, leading into an explosive drum solo by Mintz. Cole Porter's "So in Love is done slowly, with a moody atmosphere effectively colored by more of Harris' arco bass work and Mintz's mallets.

Piket is a pianist who plays sparingly, but evokes emotions and colors well. She has put together a cohesive musical unit which allows for individual expression as well as a distinctive group sound.