GILAD ATZMON ORGAN TRIO with ROSS STANLEY & JOEL BARFORD– ORGANOLOGY (2025)

Jazz lovers will find something special here on an album of originals (I think) and reworkings of jazz standards. There’s a swinging take on ‘Mack the Knife’ and the Hammond organ/ alto sax/ drums trio also bring a fresh originality to ‘Secret Love’. A revved up ‘The Autumn Leaves; also shows the band are not prepared to rest on their laurels as they bring a new vibrancy to a much-played piece. Then there’s a piece called ‘Facing the Waves’, an atmospheric, haunting creation with simmering sax and sultry organ and a frantic climax with prominent drums. This is followed by a ballad ‘Here’s That Rainy Day’ topped off with a mazy organ run. ‘Freecotism’ is more free form as the title suggests, but well-disciplined and sonically pleasing; listen closely to the organ tones, the drummer content to use brush work as the frontmen experiment, but never without melody as Atzmon embarks on some fluid excursions of his own. The press release says that the genius of this musical line-up lies in its efficiency and textural completeness. Despite having only three musicians, it can deliver the fullest and richest sonic, rhythmic and melodic spectrum. I wouldn’t argue with that. And for the record Atzmon, a leading exponent of alto sax has played with Ian Dury and the Blockheads and Pink Floyd which shows the stature of this ensemble. But this is no one man show; the whole is more than the sum of the parts. Recommended.