MPH Trio

MPH Trio: Curves

by Eric J. Iannelli
April 18, 2004

The liner notes to Curves maintain that this trio’s rendition of “Autumn Leaves” “uses a pontillistic octave displacement to present the melody, and the solo section diminishes the harmony to one beat per change.” When language like this comes straight from the musicians themselves, we’re in danger of abstract theory or cold mechanics crowding out all else. And so it is with much of this disc. Johnny Mercer’s jazz standard, rearranged here by bassist Peter Paulsen, is reduced to something ...