New Groove in Bloomington, MN

European jazz pianist
Peter Beets
is unmistakably influenced by the piano/guitar/bass-oriented small ensembles of
Oscar Peterson
-- think
Peterson
,
Herb Ellis
, and
Ray Brown
. It's a "new groove" for
Beets
, but not really in the overall jazz continuum. For the majority of this date,
uses Americans
Joe Cohn
(guitar) and
Reuben Rogers
(bass) to play well-known jazz standards, and they hold up without a drummer. The unhurried
"I'm Old Fashioned,"
the ballad take of
Dave Brubeck
's
"In Your Own Sweet Way,"
the late-night
Django Reinhardt
tribute
"Nuages,"
and the languid
"But Beautiful"
harness the trio in mellow moods.
, clearly a virtuoso, is quite able to cut loose here and there, especially during the
Brubeck
number, where he plays a cluster of notes contrasting
Cohn
's very few, and during
Oscar Pettiford
's quick and quaint
"Tricotism."
Only on
"Three Little Words"
does
abdicate, as a witty
plays the lead melody. There are four remaining tracks featuring the Dutch threesome of
with
Martijn Van Iterson
Ruud Jacobs
(bass). Surprisingly, these selections have more energy, as on the bouncy
"You're My Everything"
and
Stan Getz
's variation of
"Cherokee,"
titled
"Parker 51,"
displaying the honest, upbeat spirit of the
trio better than the others. The bluesy, breezy cover of
Nat King Cole
"Easy Listening Blues"
further evokes what
's trio was able to accomplish with more internal intensity. This is not a breakthrough recording from
, but a credible effort nonetheless. ~ Michael G. Nastos