Jazz

The latest releases reviewed

YOKO MIWA Canopy of Stars Polystar Jazz Library ***

Yoko Miwa, a busy fixture on the Boston scene with her trio, is a fluent, accomplished pianist and a deft swinger with a fine harmonic sense and a facility for uncomplicated melodic writing.

These talents are all on show on this, her third CD as leader, in a programme of attractive originals on which she's capably backed by her regular drummer, Scott Goulding, with bassist Massimo Biolcati and, deputising on two tracks, bassist Bronek Suchanek.

There's a degree of give-and-take in the trio context, but Miwa is a contained and considered player who hasn't yet forged her influences (notably Bill Evans, Chick Corea and Ahmad Jamal's fondness for melodramatic contrast) into a distinctive personal voice.

Still, it's not hard to see why she's busy; she knows how to keep the pot bubbling. www.pjl.jp -   RAY COMISKEY

GEBHARD ULLMANN New Basement Research Soul Note ****

A multi-reedman, composer and leader, Ullmann is a restless radical of enormous power and authority.

Here he revisits his past work with a new Basement Research line-up in Julian Arguelles (soprano and baritone), the astonishing Steve Swell (trombone) and an equally amazing rhythm section in John Hebert (bass) and Gerald Cleaver (drums).

Despite their freely articulated revisions, these unforgivingly intense reimaginings retain an underlying sense of structure.

It's not only a question of tonal centres, or the shrewd use of written and improvised riffs, unison lines, two- and three-part polyphony and tempo changes to shape events and responses to everything from New Orleans lament and even hints of the Middle East, to the blues.

It's also Ullmann's judgment in picking and managing this superbly focused group. Great, if not for the faint- hearted. www.blacksaint.com - RAY COMISKEY

© 2007 The Irish Times