Eldad Tarmu: Silver On Aluminum

Vibraphonist Eldad Tarmu has taken on a bold and inspired task in his recording Silver On Aluminum, a trio tribute to the indomitable Horace Silver. Silver, whose writing has always been identified by structural economy and soulful clarity, mainly penned his tunes for a quintet with hard-bop brass front lines and punchy rhythm sections. Tarmu, joined by bassist Marty Isenberg and drummer Michael Shapira, pare it all down to vibes, bass, and drums and in doing so bring fresh light to Silver's taut compositions.

Tarmu's approach here is relatively unadorned. The arrangements are clean and never overworked, providing space for the trio to work in the moment. It is this very openness that allows the magic to unfold. What makes Tarmu's tribute stand out is not just reverence for the material but a willingness to rethink it. The vibraphone, a percussive and melodic instrument, is an ideal vehicle to re-cast Silver's rhythmic lines with an airiness and shimmer that brings out hidden hues.

The eight-song playlist is composed of familiar Silver works beginning with "The Saint Vitus Dance." Driven by Shapira's sharp rhythmic reflexes, Tarmu's exuberant attack on the phrasing drives the tune forward while accenting the trio's interplay, allowing this number to breathe new life in a changed jazz context. "Pyramid" is grounded in Isenberg's bass counterlines, which support Tarmu's counterpoint and build a musical dialogue to suggest a harmonic movement and dialogue all on its own. "No Smokin' " was originally a swaggering bop number with a bluesy attitude and snap. Converted here to a full-on burner, Tarmu flashes his mallet skills supported by Isenberg's walking bass. At the same time, Shapira adds the right amount of percussive commentary to keep the groove simmering.

Originally, one of Silver's more expansive and lyrical compositions, "Gregory Is Here," has morphed into a Latin-tempo- driven powerhouse provided by Shapira's drumming covering the drum kit. Tarmu strikes the tuned tone bars with authority, building their sonic imprint. Two of Silver's more readily recognizable compositions are "Opus De Funk" and "Strollin,'" a study in contrasts as envisaged by Tarmu. The former swings roughly and is readily driven by Tarmu's mallet runs, with Isenberg and Shapira providing forceful rhythmic commentary. On the latter, it unfolds with an easy conversational grace, with Silver's bluesy logic and Tarmu's approach distilling the interpretation into something intimate and freshly poetic.