In a review we published in 2016, we complained that one particular jazz trio focused on improvisation to such an extent that the tunes had been left behind; whilst a few musicians and fans took exception to this description, this reviewer’s love of melody remains intact, and if you are similarly inclined, you will love French Trio Vol. 3, the eighth album by New York-based jazz pianist Takeshi Asai.
Like Keith Jarrett back in the day, Asai has a US and European band – his New York and French Trio, respectively. Whilst Jarrett remains an important influence, it is the inspiration of Bill Evans that can perhaps be heard most clearly on this live recording.
The French Trio performed seven concerts last summer, and the pianist felt that the chemistry between the band and the audience was at its best in Fouras, France, on July 12th, and chose eight tunes from that evening’s performance.
Six of the eight tunes were composed by Asai himself, and one by the bass player, with Nardis, by Miles Davis – perhaps co-written by Bill Evans – the only cover. Asai does not try to re-invent the jazz trio, but what does make this album fresh and exciting is the quality of his compositions.
The album opens with Moonlight Night, one of his earliest compositions, which dates back to his time at Berklee in 1999. The tune also appears on his most recent solo album, but his band – Pascal Combeau on bass and Maxime Legrand on drums, add another dimension here. It is quite beautiful composition, designed to capture the “magical power the moon has on us,” and features a fine solo by Combeau.
Eb+ is named after the E-flat augmented chord, which may be above most of the listeners, myself included, but the idea behind the tune was to reduce the “literature aspect” in the song, and in so doing, Asai seems to have distilled the melody to its most natural element, which works well. Combeau’s bass playing reminds me somewhat of Scott LaFaro, as he introduces a steady stream of new ideas to the proceedings.
His own contribution, Tell Me There’ll Be Better Days, is also impressive. It starts with a slow, Latin-based groove which gradually evolves as the band start to improvise.
ABC is based on Imogen Heap’s 2005 song, Speeding Cars, although it is taken at a significantly slower pace. Asai makes no bones about the fact that he is inspired by pop music, as well as jazz, and I suspect this helps to explain the album’s appeal and memorable melodies.
When You Feel Sad is an upbeat, happy tune, based on a complex time signature, which has the desired effect on the listener. Very Little Waltz is a more recent composition, written just before the most recent tour, before Macka brings the album to a close – a light-hearted composition designed to have some fun, and showcase his fine band.
French Trio Vol. 3 is a good introduction to this fine pianist and composer, and will leave you searching for ways to get hold off his back catalogue.
The album is currently available on CD Baby here, and Spotify here. It should be available on iTunes soon.
