Joyce DiCamillo Trio: Sunrise Lady

Joyce DiCamillo has been active on the jazz scene as a performer, clinician and teacher for going on 18 years. The major jazz artists she has played with during her career would make an imposing resume for any performer. For the last two or so years she has worked with her own trio and Sunrise Lady is the 5th CD resulting from that association. The play list chosen for this session includes some classic standards, songs that are on the fringe of the Great American Songbook having not quite made it there and one original, the title tune. All allow DiCamillo to demonstrate the tapestries she weaves in her intelligent conquering of the pianistic art form. While she swings when the occasion calls for it (like on "The Lamp Is Low") she is not flashy and often appears to take a matter of fact approach to the music. Then she throws in a golden musical filigree which enriches the tune she is playing. Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" is one of the vehicles where she shows how her piano talks as well as plays. "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right out of My Life", a song not that heard often, is exhibited by DiCamillo in a new light, one that is more romantic than one would expect given the title of the tune.

Her trio compatriots, Rick Petrone and Joe Corsello, each a veteran of many recordings and live performances, support DiCamillo to the hilt. Corsello shows off his Elvin Jones drumming virtuosity on the introduction to the title tune "Sunrise Lady" before DiCamillo comes romping in one of the more up tempo tunes on the set. He and DiCamillo create some sparks in Bobby Timmons' "Moanin'". Petrone's bass provides the solid foundation on which the pianist builds her melodic pyramids. He shows that he can strum as melodically as any bassist on "Young and Foolish". This album is one of the better of recent piano trio releases and is recommended.