Jazz

All four of Brubeck's sons are musicians, though only Darius became a pianist like his father. In the 1980s he pioneered jazz education in South Africa, but moved to London in 2006 and formed a new quartet. Drummer Gibbens and bassist Ridley were heard with saxist Mike Rossi on For Lydia And The Lion in 2009, but in 2014 came Cathy's Summer, Dave O'Higgins completing the current lineup. Here they're in fine form on the last night of a 2018 tour that marked the 60th anniversary of Dave Brubeck's 'Iron Curtain' visit. O'Higgins is robust and Rollins-tinged on 'Your Own Sweet Way', warmer on the other Dave Brubeck piece here, 'Dziekuje' or 'Thank You'. And 'Take Five', inevitably, ends a great live set. SH

Chick Corea Trio
Trilogy 2
Concord Jazz CJA00183 (two discs)

Far from slowing down in his 70s, Corea continues to tour extensively, notably with his star trio partners McBride and Blades on bass and drums. Like the 2014 Trilogy triple album, this new double assembles live recordings from many countries. Eight of the 12 cuts were captured at US and Canadian venues, six in 2016 and two in 2010, and there are Italian, Swiss and Japanese concert tracks from 2010 and 2012. Corea revisits his own early classics with '500 Miles High' and 'Now He Sings, Now He Sobs' but the trio also thrives on material as diverse as Monk's 'Crepuscule With Nellie' and Stevie Wonder's 'Pastime Paradise', playing brilliantly throughout. SH

Joy Ellis
Dwell
Oti-O Records CD002

A second album from a fine pianist, a graduate of the Guildhall School, but now above all a singer-songwriter. As with her 2017 debut Life On Land, she's backed by an excellent band built around husband Adam Osmianski on drums plus bassist Henrik Jensen, and featuring the dazzling but always apposite guitar work of Rob Luft, who contributes some deft and soaring solos. No guest sax from Binker Golding this time, but you can hear Ferg Ireland adding some punchy electric bass. Ellis's words can be poetic, deep and thought-provoking, or sometimes joyfully scene-painting, always promoted effectively by her great singing and her inventive and sparkling music. SH

Keith Jarrett
Munich 2016
ECM 779 3748 (two discs; 2LPs: 0829260)

More than 40 years on from The Köln Concert, Jarrett's solo albums have become a seemingly endless series. But his unique abilities and unique approach to performance still make each new one special. Here, as usual, the pieces are given numbers, in this case I to XII, but the first is far the longest at nearly 14m, intense, densely rhythmic, a tour de force in itself. At the end of the concert, Jarrett added three interpretations, with 'Answer Me, My Love' and 'It's A Lonesome Old Town' followed majestically by 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'. For other pianists, solo concertising can be a mountain to climb, but Jarrett is far away up there already. SH