Gabriel Latchin Trio - Viewpoint (2023)

On Viewpoint, Gabriel Latchin shows that he is a classic bebop pianist of the highest order. While the British musician and his trio with bassist Jeremy Brown and drummer Joe Farnsworth perform 11 of Latchin’s originals on his fourth CD as a leader, Viewpoint, the music is very much in the straight ahead tradition.

One can certainly imagine Bud Powell playing such numbers as “Says Who,” the rapid (and well named) “A Stitch In Time,” “Bird In the Hand,” and “Just The Ticket.” Latchin has captured the essence of Powell’s style without directly copying him, and he also is equally comfortable on the tender ballad “A Mother’s Love,” creating a Horace Silver-type groove on “Train Of Thought,” and paying tribute to Cedar Walton and his brand of sophisticated hard bop on “Mr. Walton.”

With fine support and occasional solos from Brown and Farnsworth, this is a highly enjoyable set of swinging bop. On the basis of this CD alone, Gabriel Latchin can be thought of as the British Benny Green, but in reality he has his own sound within the tradition.