The Jon Cowherd Trio - Pride & Joy (2022)

It’s hard for a pianist to complain when he’s doing a trio album with drummer Brian Blade and bassist John Patitucci. He’s been a support on both of the Wayne Shorter sidemen’s own albums, and they return the favor with a sizzling album with the core unit and guests Chris Potter/sax and Alex Acuna/perc. The trio creates a shiny groove on the sleek “The Colorado Experiment” with Patitucci careening around Blade, while the deliberate “Honest Man (For Ellis Marsalis)” reverberates with style and “Plainfield is a serene cirrus cloud. Cowherd digs deep and shows his warm digits on a reflective “Quilt City Blues” as well, and with Acuna and Potter, he goes into Keith Jarret mod on a cascading “Grand Mesa” and a fusion “Little Scorpio”. Masters at their art.