Borderlines

by Stewart MasonA trio album featuring three of the leading lights of the Italian jazz scene, the young pianist Antonio Faraò, legendary drummer Daniel Humair (of Swiss decent and a mainstay of Italian jazz since the early '60s, best known for his trio records with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty), and upright bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel (of French heritage who's most familiar for his '80s and '90s work backing up free jazz saxophonist Steve Lacy), Borderlines joins three generations of European musicians who are most comfortable working in three different styles. Faraò's post-bop leanings tend to overshadow Humair's fusion and Avenel's free jazz tendencies but, as one might expect, the hyperactive Humair and the fearless Avenel refuse to roll over and merely accompany Faraò in the traditional piano trio style. Frankly, as on the chaotic opener "Captain Duck," the effect can be that of three instrumentalists soloing at once. However, on more restrained explorations like the intriguing "Impressions of Caligari," the trio's disparate styles blend together surprisingly well.