Thermal Strut

Anyone who loves jazz piano trio in the tradition of Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal or the Jeff Hamilton Trio will enjoy this wonderful jazz CD from drummer Jay Lawrence, a veteran of Nevada showrooms who has worked with everyone from Sammy Davis Jr. to Roy Clark and whose jazz credits include Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Bob Mintzer and Hank Jones. The other members of the trio are pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Lynn Seaton.

From the first selection, "Thermal Strut," a Lawrence original, it is clear that this guy can really play.

His time feel is impeccable and his musical support of the ensemble is beautifully conceived. His playing on the very innovative arrangement of "Love for Sale" moves from a New Orleans second-line feel into a jazz waltz with complete control. Then, without warning, the trio moves back into the funky second-line groove for solos.

Another complex arrangement is "Agua de Beber," which alternates between a funky samba and a more traditional feel. Again, Lawrence leads the trio smoothly through each change of feel, always the perfect foil to the piano and bass.

Another highlight is Lawrence's brush playing on Horace Silver's uptempo "Opus de Funk." He is in total command, playing great soloistic time during the head and performing a wonderful melodic solo over Seaton's walking bass line. This is a beautiful recording that is a great example of the potential of the jazz piano-trio format.