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Cole After Midnight - Marcus Roberts Trio

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In an interesting partnering in elegance, Marcus Roberts continues his intellectual exploration of the piano trio in Cole After Midnight--a collection of arrangements honoring the music of Nat "King" Cole and Cole Porter. Roberts is a glimmer of hope amidst the current deluge of artists paying tribute to Nat "King" Cole, having built a career on clever, modern interpretations of conservative standards. However, he handles this tribute with a bit too much reverence. The pianist has the extraordinary ability to cohesively cite the whole of jazz history within a single composition, but his scholarly appreciation fails to reference the brightness of Mr. Cole's trio work. Roberts has recorded Gershwin's "Embraceable You" before (on 1992's If I Could Be with You)--a sweet, deceptive interpretation far more successful than what he's offering here. Despite the witty hand-drum treatment of "Mona Lisa" and the wonderful bass exchange of Roland Guerin and Thaddeus Expose on "Paper Moon," this album doesn't start to breathe until Roberts's own energetic original, "Cole After Midnight." Once free of honoring the master of piano trios, this group sets off on a number of smartly arranged Cole Porter tunes. The sultriness of "I Concentrate on You" sidles smoothly into the funky "What Is This Thing Called Love," which showcases the sharpness of drummer Jason Marsalis. Roland Guerin hands over a rare delicacy of a slap bass solo on "It's DeLovely." Roberts takes it alone on "You're the Top," playing with a postmodern meld of a Morton-on-Monk style that is all his own. While not the best showcase of Roberts's talent and insight, this album contains many satisfying moments. --Susan Lewandowski