Rodrigo Amado: Motion Trio

Amado's previous trio recordings with Chicago bassist Kent Kessler and Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love—Teatro (European Echoes, 2006) and The Abstract Truth (European Echoes, 2009)—iintroduced both his bright tenor sound and bold approach to the baritone. Unlike the previous sessions, where the ensemble's sound was built upon muscular engagement and struggle, Motion Trio is more about distribution and, to borrow a photographer's term, framing the improvisation just right.

The three players aren't so much involved in competition, such as the improvisational wrangling often heard during instant composing. Nor do Mira and Ferrandini act merely as a rhythm section for Amado's inventions. The five lengthy pieces and the stylishly petite "Ballad" achieve equilibrium through attentive listening and solicitous playing. The trio gives a nod toward Evan Parker, Barry Guy, and Paul Lytton on "Radical Leaves," ending with the tour de force, "In All Languages" (not to be confused with Ornette Coleman's tune)—a meditation or prayer that builds energy, culminating with more rumination than release.