Luismi Segurado Trio - Tritones Y Serendipia (2017)

There’s no shortage of high-quality new jazz from Spain, particularly the Catalonia region, and in terms of quality this album is no exception. It was actually recorded in Madrid, and Segurado seems to hail from the north of Spain. The material is all from Segurado’s pen, and they’re good tunes, but the real strength of this trio is in the arrangements and the variety of playing approaches, particularly from the leader who runs the gamut of jazz piano techniques.

The nicely melodic opener Amor de Madre quickly introduces Segurado as one of a relatively small number of contemporary pianists who like to utilise block-chording work in solos, and there’s at least a hint of Red Garland about him in this respect, and of Wynton Kelly in terms of hard-swinging grooves. Pajaros de Colores opens with a stride-piano intro, another relative rarity these days, and more nice block-chording amongst the nimble single-line melody fragments, and occasional single-note left-hand minim bass lines supporting single-note right-hand solo lines.

Suite Enrerrareza and A ver Cual open with solo piano introductions—both quite dramatic, but at the same time reflective, and utilising the whole range of the piano to great effect. Later in the album Castrillo gets a couple of drum solo opportunities, and on the closer Waltz For Clarisse it’s Garcia’s chance to impress with a gentle, lyrical bass solo, and a nod to Cole Porter’s I Love You. There’s a sense of fun in this music, and I suspect that this trio may well be very entertaining live, whilst delivering their own brand of high-quality jazz." Dave Jones (April, 2017) -Jazz Journal Magazine