Jon Ballantyne Trio - The Loose (1994)

Jon Ballantyne, a fine hard bop pianist from Canada, is teamed with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Billy Hart on this early Justin Time release. Ballantyne performs five of his originals plus Charles Mingus' "Duke's Choice," Joe Henderson's "Serenity," "Monk's Mood," "Ornithology," and "I Fall in Love Too Easily." The communication between the players is impressive, the music mostly swings, and Ballantyne shows individuality in his playing within the straight-ahead jazz tradition. Well worth checking out. © Scott Yanow