Tom O’Halloran Trio
Green Hills and White Clouds
(Jazzgroove/Creative Vibes)
****
Perth pianist Tom O’Halloran, now a Sydney resident, is touring the US during January, following performances in Europe, Canada and New Zealand. On his return this CD will be officially launched on February 27th at Sydney’s Excelsior Hotel.
Unlike many contemporary piano trios O’Halloran’s puts great emphasis on strong grooves with improvising intensity: an Oscar Peterson style for the 21st century. All but one of the tracks are originals, with Get Me To The Village perhaps the best up-tempo demonstration of O’Halloran’s masterful technique, driven by smart rhythmic insertions from Perth musicians Pete Jeavons, double bass, and Daniel Susnjar, drums.
The title track ranges over different tempos concocting abstract landscapes and featuring a superbly swinging bass solo. Becoming projects a joyful sense of development and arrival in a bluesy feel, while Gonzalo’s Rubix Cube, for Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, explores Latin rhythms with unusual melodic ideas and a myriad percussive effects to heighten piano and drum interplay. Another example of the high quality contemporary music now available in all Australian states.
Note: This review first appeared in The Weekend Australian and is reprinted with the permission of the author.
