There's nothing wrong with "regular" jazz. You know, the classic stuff they teach at the academy. It's just a lot more fun with added brighteners. Pianist Dante Piccanelli has obviously been well-schooled, and his trio (double bassist Hernan Cassibba and drummer Omar Menendez) knows its way around many subsets. So far, so good.

Dante Piccinelli Uapití (Ears & Eyes)

Latin rhythms and melodies find their way into these pieces, and Piccinelli is neither pointed nor self-conscious about this. There is no transition into and out of these and other elements. They simply fit.

Despite the high technical level of the playing, the trio never sounds rushed or forced. These pieces are conversations between the members of the trio, and the interplay often creates a result greater than the lines themselves.

These are young musicians, and they have a lot to learn. But they've already figured out how to work together and make music that says something. If I had been told that this was a veteran trio with its tenth album, I wouldn't have blinked. There's more than a little something going on here.

Jon Worley