steadfast swinging jazz brilliance Spike Wilner trio – CONTRAFACTUS: It’s been a while since I’ve heard the kind of steadfast swinging jazz brilliance that pianist Spike and his mates (Paul Gill on bass and Anthony Pinciotti on drums) create for us on this recent release (29 March, 2024). To get an idea of how well they play together, scope out this lively performance of the 3:29 “Kinetic Neurosis” (from the album)…
There are a LOT of other fine performances, too, when you SUBSCRIBE to Spike’s YouTube channel (I signed up right away).
Paul’s bass intro to the 3:06 “Cognitive Dissonance” may lull you into thinking the song is just another “laid-back” trio tune… nothing could be further from the truth… Spike’s piano is absolutely superb on this one, and Anthony’s drums help set the rousing pace for one of the finest piano led songs I’ve listened to (yet) in 2024!
If it’s vibrant and upbeat you’re yearning for in your jazz listening, you’ll find the 7:43 opener, “At First Blush“, as perfect as I did… in fact, this great song truly demonstrates the high talent of each player in many ways. It was easy to make this my personal choice for favorite of the eleven totally engaging tunes offered up for our jazz pleasure.
I give Spike and his players a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.98. Get more information on the Bandcamp page for the album (below).
