Antwerp

Sophisticated Musical Surprises
*****
Drummer John Bishop (founder of esteemed Seattle-based Origin Records) is mainly found supporting other ensembles, but this album has him as leader of a piano trio. He is teamed with Belgian pianist Bram Weijeters and bassist Piet Verbist, with whom he performed over the years during his travels. The varied and balanced tracks of new and reworked originals plus takes on Lawns by Carla Bley, Henry Mancini's Two for the Road, and Hal Galper's Trip the Light Fantastic have European jazz sophistication. Weijters composes unusal melodies with strong chords and a bounce to his notes. Opportunites for Verbist's solo work are found everywhere; he composed three pieces for the album, one of which, Bulls, reflects his study of flamenco and is derived from flexible 12-beat buler'as. Another tune of the bassist is Pointing at The Moon (a phrase of significance in Zen lore) that has ballad-like quality. With the exception of the very abstract piece, For Less Than Nothing, Bishop's supporting drum work remains in the background applying beat emphasis and ornamentation. Here, Bishop and Verbist perform an extensive duet and when Weijtgers enters, the drumkit becomes another layer of textured sound. One engaging track follows another, and the album concludes with Contemplative, influenced by McCoy Tyner's Contemplation. Each re-listening of Antwerp brings forth new appreciation and discoveries.