Conversations

About

Drummer Stanton Moore plays in Galactic, Garage a Trois, and various groove projects, but on <i>Conversations</i> he leads an acoustic New Orleans–based straight-ahead jazz band through a set heavy on local material. Moore’s stated goal is to further his jazz chops in much the same way he did with funk on 2010’s <i>Groove Alchemy</i>. Joined by pianist David Torkanowsky and bassist James Singleton, the band fluently mix second-line jams like “Carnival,” some rhythmic Horace Silver–style bebop on “Lauren Z,” and NOLA stride piano blues on “Driftin’.” Never shy about his drumming (nor should he be!), Moore drops a nice break into the middle of “Magnolia Triangle” and generally pushes the band along, but he also tastefully lays low with brushes on “Tchefunkta.” The entire band do a wonderful low-key approximation of a funeral march on the soulful “Waltz for Old Souls,” with Singleton offering a poignant bowed solo. The trio have been holding down a standing Tuesday-night gig at Snug Harbor, and the chemistry is fully developed here; it's one of the better piano-trio albums to come out of the Crescent City in some time.

via Apple Music

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