Billy Childs: Triumvirate

Billy Childs earned a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album for his 2023 release The Winds Of Change (Mack Avenue Records). Triumvirate arrives as the follow-up. Accolades are not unusual for Childs. He holds six Grammys in total, along with numerous nominations, reflecting his exceptionally high standards both as a jazz pianist and classical composer.

This release marks his first trio recording since the mid-'90s. He enlists his longtime collaborators from live performances: bassist Matt Penman and drummer Ari Hoenig. Despite their history, this is their first recording together. As Childs explains, "They both make music in a way that elevates a trio; I knew I needed to record with these people."

This eight-track session draws upon material from recordings made across Childs' career, from his early releases for Windham Hill Jazz in the '80s, one from the '90s, through to one new composition. They sit alongside tunes from Miles Davis, Benny Golson, Thelonious Monk and Jerome Moross.

The first of the Windham Hill material is album opener "One Fleeting Instant," taken from Take for Example This (1988). The track does not sound dated for a second; quite the contrary, with its bustling staccato rhythms, fleet-fingered piano improvisations and contemporary percussive drive. Dating from the same period, "Like Father Like Son," taken from Twilight Is Upon Us (Windham Hill Jazz, 1989), is given fresh impetus with Penman's long, sinuous solo a highlight. Childs revels in bringing these pieces up to date; he points out, "Part of my motivation in choosing these works came from a lingering regret that those albums didn't reach a wider audience."

The one new tune is "Carefree." One can only admire the way Childs imbues swing into every nuance of the composition. Its catchy hook is backed by Hoenig's brushes and another terrific Penman solo. "Heroes" is taken from Skim Coat (Sunshine Digital, 1999), an album Childs recorded with bassist Buster Williams and drummer Carl Allen. It was a standout track back then, but Childs' long-term immersion in his craft brings a refinement and delicacy of touch that gives this sublime version the edge.

Benny Golson's "Whisper Not" hits a bluesy groove from the off, with later features for Penman and Hoenig. Childs' improvisation sparkles, giving the track a modern edge. The pianist brings his own sense of space and timing to an excellent, reflective reading of Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now," Penman adding his customary thoughtful solo.

"Lazy Afternoon" is more often heard as a vocal track. The melody, written by film composer Jerome Moross (perhaps best known for the score for the 1958 movie The Big Country), builds and subsides through fine interplay with especially notable work from Hoenig. The album closes with a delicate Childs and Penman conversation on Miles Davis' "Flamenco Sketches."

Revisiting his musical past and returning to a small group format pays dividends, as Childs moves fluidly from intimacy to swing and all points in between. Whether a listener's interests lie in the appeal of the straight-ahead tradition or more contemporary phrasing, Triumvirate offers contrast, harmonic sophistication and plain entertainment value in equal measure on this thoroughly outstanding session.