Tony Tixier, Poems Never End, Whirlwind ***1/2

marlbank

1 year ago

It’s remarkable that Poems Never End was recorded in just one afternoon. Talk about old school methods. It largely works. Who needs all the frills and furbelows of months in the studio anyway it’s as if.

The scene was a New York studio early last year. There’s a strong triplet feel to ‘Magic’. And on ‘Poem For The Oppressed’ the core Tixier led piano trio are joined by the horns of Seamus Blake and Logan Richardson that fatten out the sound. Poems Never End also includes a knowing version of Thelonious Monk’s ‘Work.’

But even more interesting is the Martinique flavoured Alain Jean-Marie piece ’Tropical Blues’ on which percussionist Mino Cinelu known for his work with Miles Davis joins on the Tixier arranged and rendered Poems Never End treatment tapping the island’s roll of the hips rumba derived biguine style. It’s a vibrant strong suit of a likeably self effacing album where there’s flow, poise and fluency and where Tixier can partially lean into his own French Martinican roots.

Tixier also has another decidedly agreeable album out this year called Soul Song (Komos 3-stars) on which he plays Fender Rhodes in a duo with trumpeter Hermon Mehari.

While it may be more limited in its ambition Soul Song certainly sports a decent version of George Duke’s soul-jazz classic ‘The Black Messiah’ popularised by Cannonball Adderley.

So, two sides of Tixier’s artistry are represented on these recordings. Both are of appeal to anyone into Jason Rebello (because of the Herbie Hancock thread in the sound they both share) or Mario Canonge (on the Martinican side), the pianist active on the Paris jazz club scene known for his work with Courtney Pine and found playing zouk on House of Legends.