Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Mesmerism

In the '60s, it was common to criticize avant-garde jazz musicians by saying they could not swing. Drummer and composer Tyshawn Sorey has travelled far beyond mainstream jazz through his "new music" composing and collaborations with other cutting edge musicians such as Vijay Iyer and Roscoe Mitchell. Now he confounds expectations by leading a piano trio which definitely swings but with its own unique way of exploring rhythm and melody.

The trio is filled out with Aaron Diehl on piano and Matt Brewer on bass. They play a set of mostly familiar tunes by other composers—two well-known standards, and one each by Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Paul Motian and Muhal Richard Abrams. There is more melody than abstraction in these performances, but they all contain little twists and irritations which lift the music out of the ordinary. Silver's "Enchantment" floats along on a Middle Eastern vibe led by calm, lilting piano but Sorey's drumming throws an impish vamp into the rhythm without disturbing the song's flow. Abrams' "Two Over One" is a strolling waltz dominated by Diehl's graceful piano grooves. Ellington's "REM Blues" is a relaxed blues shuffle kicked along nicely by Sorey's beat and featuring a soulful solo by Brewer.

Most of these tracks keep the basic feel of their usual treatments, but "Detour Ahead" is almost unrecognizable. It begins with a dreamily romantic piano introduction which alights on the chords of the song's bridge. That gives way to a strong bass solo before Diehl settles into the melody with quiet cymbal and snare rustling behind him. Once the entire trio is in place, the tempo and volume begin to increase slightly with each pass through the song. Diehl's explorations of the melody become ever more delirious and are matched by Sorey's intricately chopping rhythms. Meanwhile Brewer's bass warily weaves through the open spaces his partners leave.

"Autumn Leaves" is played with a hint of Bill Evans in Diehl's dreamy discursions, as Sorey ticks and glides underneath, keeping the rhythm simmering. Eventually the drummer massages the song into a slippery soft shoe rhythm as Diehl adds bluesy accents to his playing.. Paul Motian's "From Time To Time" gets the most abstract treatment on the album. Motian's versions of the piece usually had a melancholy rush to them. This version resembles the suspended stillness of some of Sorey's own compositions. First, the piano rings out chilly single notes against muted bass plucks and quiet cymbal sounds. Then Diehl slowly descends into a melody which feels haunted and gauzy as the rhythm section slowly increases the tension and the cymbals begin to crash and shimmer.

Diehl and Brewer play their parts here with an expertly light and stylish touch but Tyshawn Sorey makes it all into something special. He consistently troubles the waters in a good way, throwing in unexpected accents and tempo changes which enliven the music and sharpen the group's sound. Many of his other recordings have been on the austere or contemplative side but this session emphatically proves that he knows how to swing and can drive a trio with flair. This is definitely one of the year's recorded highlights.