Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Andreas Dreier Trio: Poinciana

8

Andreas Dreier Trio: Poinciana

By

Sign in to view read count
Andreas Dreier Trio: Poinciana
There's no doubt when the soft tapping of drums announces a beat as light as lovers dancing through a summer night. This is the signature of one of the greatest cover versions of all time. Or rather, this is the watermark of a cover made into a new composition. Pianist Ahmad Jamal's trio now virtually owns the tune "Poinciana" and the album it comes from, At the Pershing: But Not for Me (Chess, 1958), has become a classic in its own right.

What Jamal did with his legendary trio with drummer Vernel Fournier and bassist Israel Crosby was that he defined a sound. The featherweight sound of ethereal swing with an almost unseemly touch of elegance. Fortunately, this particular trio has many musical admirers, even as far away as Scandinavia, and Danish bassist Andreas Dreier has teamed up with Norwegian guitarist Bjørn Vidar Solli and Australian drummer Adam Pache to create a congenial tribute to Jamal's trio, appropriately titled Poinciana.

It's an organically swinging affair where the warm woody sound of Dreier's bass gently basks in the company of Pache's pleasant brushwork and light use of sticks and the crisp chord progressions of Vidar Solli. There's an air of formal elegance about the record, which is underlined by the musicians dressed in suits on the cover, but there's nothing stiff about the music that falls in love all over again with standards like "Lullaby of the Leaves," "Cherokee" and "My Ideal."

There's also room for two Thelonious Monk compositions, "Eronel" and "Ask Me Now," both surprisingly smooth considering how rough-edged Monk can be, but the highlight is the title track played with reverence and a secure sense of Jamal's aesthetic. It's a joy to hear Dreier's trio find magic in the musical treasures of the past and make them blossom in the moment.

Track Listing

Lullaby of the Leaves; Darn that Dream; It Could Happen; Charokee; My Ideal; Eronel; The Best Thing for you is Me; Ask Me Now; Poinciana.

Personnel

Andreas Dreier: bass; Bjørn Vidar Solli: guitar; Adam Pache: drums.

Album information

Title: Poinciana | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Losen Records


Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Slow Water
Stephan Crump
Contrafactus
Spike Wilner Trio
Psychedelic Rio
Vinicius Cantuaria

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.