Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Walter Lang Trio: Eurasia

294

Walter Lang Trio: Eurasia

By

Sign in to view read count
Walter Lang Trio: Eurasia
German pianist Walter Lang is big in Japan, with Eurasia being the sixth CD released there on the M&I Records label. A listen to any of these discs reveals something for the discerning taste of the Japanese jazz fan.

Lang records mostly in the trio format—piano, bass and drums—and his approach in this setting can be said to fall in the interactive Bill Evans Trio mode, with a graceful lyricism, a supple use of touch, and an exquisite feel for engaging melodies, on both the tunes he chooses to cover and on his own original compositions.

The set of music on Eurasia embraces the theme of a road trip across the great expanse of the Eurasian continent and begins—for no other reason than to open with a beautiful melody—in America, with Pat Metheny's nostalgic "Last Train Home." Spare single notes by Lang paint a poignant picture, expanding, as the trio-mates enter the tune, into a passing landscape of ephemeral beauty. A jump across the Atlantic lands in the familiar "Ack Vaermaland" (Dear Old Stockholm). A visit to Yugoslavia features Dusko Goykovich's rhythmically insistent "Nights of Skopje," while "Ringo Owake" represents Japan.

The set also travels to France with "Que Reste T'il De Nos Amours" (I Wish You Love), Italy (Bruno Martino's "Estate"), Spain with the Lang original "Madrid After Dark," Turkey (Belalim), and Greece (Omorfi Poli).

In a group of tunes originating in diverse cultures, the universal language of melody is the thread that ties the set together. Lang has a fine ear (and two magical hands) for an engaging melody, and his trio—he works with at least three, including the modernized drum 'n' bass dance groove group, Trio Elf—is as simpatico and interactive as any that can be heard in the piano trio format.

Eurasia is a beautiful, first rate piano trio set—one of the best of the year, and with its release Lang has risen to the top level of jazz piano artistry.

Track Listing

Last Train Home; Ack Vaermaland (Dear Old Stockholm); Nights of Skopje; Ringo Oiwake; Que Reste T'il De Nos Amours (I Wish You Love); Estate; Madrid After Dark; Belalim; Omorfi Poli; Traveling Far.

Personnel

Walter Lang: piano; Thomas Markusson: bass; Sebastian Merk: drums.

Album information

Title: Eurasia | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: M&I

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.