Franco D'Andrea Trio - Bud and Lennie (2004)

Franco D'Andrea conceived the idea of a tribute to fellow pianists Lennie Tristano and Bud Powell, yet chose to primarily explore some of their less frequently performed works. Accompanied by bassist Ares Tavolazzi and drummer Massimo Manzi, D'Andrea interprets Tristano's intriguing "Turkish Mambo" in a manner suggesting a touch of Igor Stravinsky in spots, while the group's performance of the well-titled "Descent into the Maelstrom" is every bit as ominous as it sounds. Powell's material provides an interesting contrast. D'Andrea's marvelous runs in the lighthearted ballad "Dusky 'n' Sandy" (for decades listed incorrectly as "Dusk in Sandi") are accompanied by spacious, sensitive playing by his bandmates. Tavolazzi and Manzi set up "Coming Up" with a funky groove, before the leader makes an angular entrance, playing a wild mix of styles. The pianist's sole original is a tribute to both men, "Bud and Lennie," and incorporates a bit of each man's diverse style as well as a few excerpts from their respective compositions. Franco D'Andrea has long been one of Europe's finest jazz pianists, and the series of CDs that he has made for Philology deserves to be better known worldwide. © Ken Dryden