Articles

Carlos Barba Trio: Lightyears

By Jim Olin

Stitching together a diverse blend of influences -classical, Latin, and experimental -the Carlos Barba Trio consistently engage and innovate on their new album Lightyears. While the Texas-based group is rooted in improvisation they never lose sight of accessible melodies, dynamic hooks, and emotional depth. This is cerebral jazz with a beating heart, introspective at times but never detached and incomprehensible. Barba is a gifted pianist with a poet's ear for instrumental dazzle. “Bluebird" opens with thumping avant-garde clatter ...