Voices

New York Trio Recordings, Vol. 2: Voices is a sequel to Marc Copland's March 2006 date New York Trio Recordings, Vol. 1: Modinha, but with a slightly different lineup. Copland is still on acoustic piano, and Gary Peacock is still on upright bass; however, the drummer on Voices (which was recorded three months after Modinha) is Paul Motian instead of Modinha's drummer, Bill Stewart. Copland, Peacock, and Motian are certainly an appealing combination, and the three of them enjoy a consistently strong rapport on a 47-minute CD that is dominated by Copland and Peacock compositions. The only thing on this album that was not written by either Copland or Peacock is Miles Davis' "All Blues," which receives an unusually impressionistic treatment. Many other recordings of "All Blues" have favored a strong groove factor, but Copland's intriguing version chooses to probe and reflect rather than groove. Voices, which was recorded about two weeks after Copland's 58th birthday, does not go out of its way to be accessible; the performances tend to be on the cerebral side -- not cerebral in an avant-garde or free jazz way, but cerebral in a post-bop way -- and listeners will need to play Voices several times before they can fully appreciate all of the nuances in Copland's solos (which still underscore his appreciation of Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Chick Corea). Those who do not demand instant gratification from music will find Voices to be a worthwhile follow-up to Modinha and a solid example of acoustic post-bop trio pianism. ~ Alex Henderson|