Geri Allen-Haden-Motian - Etudes - Geri Allen-Haden-Motian

All Music Guide

Pianist Geri Allen is one of those rare jazz players who is comfortable and adept in both traditional and free jazz contexts. And while not prone to full-on flights of free improvisation á la Cecil Taylor, Allen does an impressive job of incorporating the experiments of Taylor and the like into her modally swinging solos and compositions; she is not as distinct or daring a soloist as Don Pullen or Marilyn Crispell maybe, but unique in her own right. In between three initial solo albums for the Minor Music label and a slew of breakout releases on Verve and Blue Note, Allen got to show off her askew melodic sensibilities in the company of veteran fellow travelers Paul Motian and Charlie Haden. Their combined drum and bass resume includes expansive jazz figures like Bill Evans, Lennie Tristano, Paul Bley, and Ornette Coleman, and certainly fits the bill of a similarly precocious musician like Allen. On their 1987 debut Etudes, the three of them certainly get into some inspired interplay, ...sounding often like a group that's played together for a long time. Highlights include an incredible version of Coleman's "Lonely Woman," the Haden standard "Sandino," and Allen's own "Dolphy's Dance." Motian contributes the open-ended "Fiasco," and the group brings the unsung work of hard bop pianist Herbie Nichols to light with a rollicking version of his "Shuffle Montgomery." Whether in a meditative space on the title track or in a fleet mood for Haden's "Blues for Motion," the trio is never less than engaging. - Stephen Cook, All Music Guide Read more Less