Pamai Chirdkiatisak: Dreamer

Despite having had an accomplished saxophonist and composer as a monarch —the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej— Thailand is not immediately associated in most people's minds with jazz. However, the country has had an active scene for many years, with annual festivals, contests and a jazz department at the prestigious Mahidol University.

Out of this environment emerged the supremely talented Pamai Chirdkiatisak, a Ph.D, student at the above mentioned institute, and the winner of many competitions. A reserved yet vibrant stylist and a lyrical improviser, Chirdiatisak leads his quartet through seven of his mesmerizing compositions and three covers on the aptly named Dreamer.

After the lullaby-like, unaccompanied "Intro to Dreamer '' sets the ethereal mood, Chirdkiatsiak launches into the title track with unhurried, simmering chords. Drummer Chanutr Techatananan enhances the nocturn-esque ambience with his sashaying brushes and sparse beats. Slowly, the rest of the group tiptoe into an enchanting ensemble performance. Bassist Siriwat Pliansanthia takes center stage making elegant embellishments to the main melody. After this, Chirdkiatsiak takes off with a shimmering deconstruction of the theme, which unfurls with captivating charm and poetry.

Another thrilling piece is the bluesy "Pray." Chirdkiatsiak opens with soulful refrains as pianist Pawin Limkangvanmongkol engages in a call-and-response with the leader. After Techatananan's thunderous solo, Chirdkiatisak, with sophistication and bravado, pushes the main motif far into spontaneous territory. Limkangvanmongkol's performance brims with suave swagger and breathtaking virtuosity as the pianist builds an intricate and emotive extemporization filled with cascades of notes and mellifluous phrases.

All of the standards fit well within the album's context, yet perhaps the most cohesive among them is pianist Bill Evans' "Waltz For Debby." Chirdkiatsiak starts off with light, agile refrains. Pliansanthia makes his strings reverberate in a beautiful dance as his bandmates support him with sparse tones. Chirdkiatsia then improvises with creative abandon, maintaining the allure of the original while adding something refreshingly novel to it.

Despite this being a debut release, on it Chirdkiatisak shows remarkable maturity and adroitness. Chirdkiatisak is not simply a highly skilled technician but an ingenious artist with passion and finesse. Among his sidemen he has found true camaraderie and that adds yet another layer of brilliance to Dreamer.

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