Mike Longo, Sting Like A Bee

MIKE LONGO TRIO

Longo is a jazz pianist with a half-century in the business (half of that playing with the legendary jazz trumpet-player Dizzy Gillespie). Although Longo occasionally records with a big band, he is best-known for playing improvisational music with just a bassist and drummer. His latest recording, Sting Like a Bee, just features bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Lewis Nash, both excellent in their own right. Unlike some jazz improv recordings that meander a bit, this is one CD that will hold your interest from beginning to the end.

I guess reading about improvisational music is about as interesting as watching paint dry. What you have to do is actually hear it. And this truly is improv -- you know, first takes live in the studio and all of that. It is fresh, not overly rehearsed, real "of-the-moment" stuff.

I liked all three Longo originals. They sound like jazz themes from classic early-Sixties movies, back when jazz was go-to music for setting certain moods. But the amazing thing here is what Longo does with the best-known melodies -- Leonard Bernstein's often-heard "Westside Story" tunes (a medley on this CD) and Cole Porter's "Love For Sale." You will recognize the initial melody as the band introduces it, but as with most good jazz, that is just the starting point for some great interplay between the three musicians. You will never have heard these tunes played like this before. That goes for the less well-known compositions by Wayne Shorter, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and Kurt Weill that also grace the album.

This album is everything you expect from a jazz trio, and more. It is grounded in tradition, but is modern in the complexities the group explores. Thank you, Mike Longo.