Kris Davis - Aeriol Piano (2011)

Pianist Kris Davis is rapidly becoming one of the most sought out pianists in New York. Every recording we get our hands on, we find her. The trio Paradoxical Frog with Tyshawn Sorey and Ingrid Laubrock, her trio Good Citizen with John Hebert and Tom Rainey, Ingrid Laubrock’s band Anti-House, with Tony Malaby and her arrangements of his music for Novela, on Kermit Driscolls CD Reville, with Stephen Gauci and Jon Irabagon, and with the Portuguese singer Sara Serpa, the list going on and on. Now, it’s time for her first solo record. In “Aeriol Piano” we can focus our attention entirely on her exquisite piano playing, the music displaying her refreshing style and spirit of adventure. From a version on Jerome Kerns ‘All the Things You Are’, to a prepared piano composition, to completely improvised pieces, we hear Davis exploring and developing all the innovations of her instrument. She performs inside and outside of the box, in every moment surprising us with her ability to avoid cliches, forging a new path in jazz piano. If you haven’t listened to the music of Kris Davis yet, ‘Aeriol Piano’ will introduce you to a new and innovative voice in jazz today.