Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Mesmerism
Yeros7 Music

Understandably, some might be surprised by Tyshawn Sorey's decision to issue an album of piano trio covers. After all, the drummer's built his reputation on forward-thinking projects and visionary compositional scores. In addition to crafting bold ensemble recordings and composing extended concert pieces, Sorey's held residencies with Opera Philadelphia, the Seattle Symphony, and Harvard University; written pieces for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the International Contemporary Ensemble, PRISM Quartet, and JACK Quartet; and worked with some of the most celebrated figures in jazz, among them Roscoe Mitchell, Muhal Richard Abrams, Wadada Leo Smith, George Lewis, Steve Lehman, Anthony Braxton, and Myra Melford. In 2017, he was named a MacArthur fellow and a year later United States Artists Fellow and is currently Professor of Music at the University of Pennsylvania. By any measure, Sorey's an artist of vast potential.

Yet as far-reaching as his endeavours are, they're nevertheless grounded in the enduring traditions of jazz and nourished by them. He possesses a deep grasp of where the music's come from, and to presume that his range of interests would not include that history does a disservice to the scope of the Newark-born artist's vision. While the interpretations on Mesmerism are handled with the kind of thoughtfulness characteristic of an artist known for rigorously notated material, there's no sense of contrivance or calculation about the project. His avowed goal was to convey his genuine affection for the songs with honesty and sincerity, and the results bear that out. However much his reputation as a cerebral avant-gardist is warranted, the recording shows that labeling him as such is too limiting, and hearing him, pianist Aaron Diehl, and bassist Matt Brewer deliver the six performances with such spontaneity is refreshing.

Mesmerism is both an homage to particular figures and a celebration of classic tunes from the Great American Songbook. In that regard, Sorey's carrying on a long-standing tradition, with Mesmerism calling to mind releases such as Braxton's Standards volumes and Motian's Broadway-themed homages. To bolster the spontaneity of the trio's playing, only an hour or two of rehearsal preceded the actual recording. Each of the three is fully present as the performances develop, and though Diehl shoulders the melodic load, Brewer and Sorey are anything but mere followers. Helping to strengthen that balance, the pianist doesn't overpower the others but instead often teases at a melody, alluding to it with chords or voicing a fragment of the theme. All participants sustain an empathetic dialogue in their interactions, the result treatments of tunes that, while in some cases familiar, feel newly born. While “Autumn Leaves” has been covered exhaustively, for example, the sensitive discourse between the three speaks to the high level at which they're operating and breathes new life into the chestnut. Tellingly, of the three players, it's Sorey who solos least, though the argument could be easily made that even in an accompanist role he's soloing.

Horace Silver's “Enchantment” proves to be one of the more satisfying pieces for the soulful and even at times funky treatment it receives. As importantly, the rendering serves as a potent reminder that Sorey's a great drummer in addition to composer and conceptualist. With Brewer locking into his pulse, the leader buoys the swinging performance with assurance and invention, playing that in turn coaxes a deliciously adventurous contribution from Diehl. There's sophistication to the performance but earthiness too. Speaking of which, Duke Ellington's “REM Blues” (on CD and stream only) presents the trio comfortably inhabiting the tune's relaxed skin and embracing its easy swing. Diehl introduces the trio's Bill Evans homage “Detour Ahead” with prettiness and nuance, the Impressionistic episode the first stop in a scenic travelogue that modulates through multiple keys across fourteen explorative minutes. After Brewer adds a memorable solo to the subdued opening part, the activity level intensifies as the three detour into different zones, the playing growing alternately abstract and bluesy without ever completely severing ties to the identity of the song.

August 2022