Michael Ragonese: Stracci

Pianist Michael Ragonese is called Rags, a nickname given to him in childhood that stuck. His sophomore effort is entitled Stracci which means rags in Italian—a more musical sound than its English equivalent. It is a piano trio outing, a top-notch one.

Ragonese's musical backstory is a common one. He began in classical studies and after a time felt constrained. He was introduced to jazz via a Bill Evans album—no better place to start—and he switched his focus.

Stracci reveals not so much an Evans influence as it does, compositionally, a Brad Mehldau one. Ragonese wrote six of the eight tunes presented here, and they all have beguiling prettiness combined with an assertive rhythmic insistence. They seem to avoid any customary song form and are a bit on the abstract side while remaining accessible. "Escape" is the first of these. The trio, with Mark Ferber drumming and Luca Alemanno playing bass, goes beyond accompaniment with their strong voices, a piano trio mode which began with Bill Evans, and is carried on by Mehldau. And Michael Ragonese.

The album opens with one of its two covers, the familiar "Solar," performed most famously by Miles Davis, and also covered by Evans and Mehdau. Ragonese and company put their own stamp on the tune. It is a piece which has sounded modern since the early '50s. It still does here.

"The Tides Of Tomorrow, Parts 1 & 2" are a suite, played together in his live shows. "Part 1" sounds solemn; "Part 2" is dark-hued and urgent, like the soundtrack to a day of a disturbing experience. "I'll Be Seeing You," the second of the album's covers, is played straight and spritely and gives bassist Alemanno some room to strut his stuff.

Ragonese closes with his "Copycat," sounding as modern as "Solar," the opener; a fine close to a fine piano trio outing.