Customer Reviews

Stone in the Water

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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I admit, I have a soft spot for piano trios that specialize in ballads. Though I have read that the pianist on this record, Stefano Bollani, can play much more than ballads, the tunes on this album are all slow-mid tempo. The trio's performances of the two Brazilian pieces, one by famous Tropicalia-era singer/composer Caetano Veloso and another by the great Antonio Carlos Jobim, are easily the highlights of the album. The latter, "Brigas Nunca Mais", is definitely my favorite cut... Bollani preserved the purity of the original (as performed by Elis Regina) while imbuing it with a Bill Evans-esque sensibility, practically echoing Bill's performance of "My Foolish Heart" at the Village Vanguard in 1961...

The typical ECM album usually fails to move me -- some artists on the label think that sparse playing automatically makes it enjoyable. But Bollani's trio keeps things harmonically, rhythmically, and melodically interesting (the bassist's solo on track 1 is great) despite the relatively sparse playing. If you like Bill Evans releases like "You Must Believe in Spring" or "Moonbeams", any Eddie Higgins trio album, or just fine jazz ballad playing in general, do yourself a favor and pick up "Stone in the Water".

I've never felt compelled to write a review of the many CDs I've purchased from Amazon over the years, but felt I had to say something about Stone in the Water. I purchased this disc several weeks ago and have listened to it every day since, sometimes more than once, and I can't recommend it highly enough. The majority of my listening is to classical music, especially piano since piano performance was my major through one year of graduate school before I changed majors. (I'm now a visual artist.) But I'm particularly fond of jazz piano trios: Bill Evans of course, as well as many others, including Keith Jarrett, Tord Gustavsen, Bobo Stenson, Martial Solal, Gordon Beck.... But for reasons I can't fully explain, Stefano Bollani has captured my attention and my heart in a way none of the others has, not even Bill Evans (dare I admit that?). I hope that ECM will continue to encourage him and support him because I think this is a trio that is going to continue to grow together in a remarkable way. Don't know what else to say other than that if this were still the days of the LP, I'd be laying in several copies for fear of wearing out more than one.
Robert Scarlett, MI, USA

Italian pianist Bollani's Danish Trio has been playing together for six years. It shows in their playing, in the telepathy of one member's responses to another member's musical moves. This is high quality piano jazz. The overall tone of the album is so low key that the casual listener may not notice how well these three musicians play together or how high a quality their playing is. The album includes songs by Caetano Veloso and Jobim, and a greatly reworked classical piece by Poulenc, as well as Bollini's tuneful and musically interesting originals. The album was recorded live in New York last October. As with all ECM recordings, the production is high quality.

I enjoy Bollani's music very much and a new album is a cause for excitement. It starts with an interesting version of Dom de iludir by Caetano Veloso, there is also a song by Antonio Carlos Jobim but mainly music by Bollano and Jesper Bodeilson. This is a very enjoyable piece of music, nice and mellow and the contribution of Jesper Bodilsen and Morten Lund is well placed, highly recommended! Highly ECMable!

A jazz trio (piano, double-bass, and drums) that manages to sound at times both modern and classic simultaneously. The album's nine numbers include works by band members and such established composers as Francis Poulenc and Antonio Carlos Jobim. The 2009 ECM all-digital release was recorded in New York's Avatar Studios in October, 2008 and pressed in Germany. The music is alternately focused and free-flowing. Recommended.

Gerade in der späten Zeit des Jahres , wo wenig Licht und viel Innerlichkeit die Menschen der nördlichen Halbkugel verbindet , gibt diese Musik eine Richtung und begleitet mit ihrer Melodie den Fluß der Zeit .