Larry Vuckovich Trio
High Wall-Real Life Film Noir
Tetrachord Music

The name of the group is a bit of a misnomer: First, there are actually two “trios” that are represented, one with Larry Granadier (B) and Eddie Marshall (D) and the other with Paul Keller and Chuck McPherson, respectively. Also, the “trio” is actually more often than not a quartet, with wither Hector Lugo or Vince Delgado supplying the extra texture of congas, bongos and tabla. This extra addition is actually what makes the music particularly rich and alluring. Vuckovich’s glassy Red Garland-like touch bounces of the keys with aplomb and grace; the added percolating percussion on tunes like Gillespie’s “Ow” and Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” are both delightful and ebullient. “Dark Eyes” features a conundrum of drumming that is both technically adroit and viscerally enriching. The title track, which actually features only a trio, is a premier composition by Bronislaw Kaper, who has brought “Invitation” and “Green Dolphin Street” into the jazz canon, is a melancholy and delicate flower of a piece, which is displayed here with sensitivity. A couple of concert tracks at the end of the disc show a working band that telepathically connects with each other with some great swing. Some state of the art piano work here.