Matt It is a new Quintet for this 2015 release for pianist Myra Melford named “Snowy Egret” with the album titled the same comprising some highly interesting artists from today’s Modern Jazz scene. Ron Miles is playing cornet, Liberty Ellman, guitar, Stomu Takeishi is on Bass and Tyshawn Sorey is drumming with all these artists having a mix of individual experience at times with Bill Frissell, Henry Threadgill, John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, Vijay Iyer, Eric Friedlander, Roscoe Mitchell which gives a bit of a hint to the style of Jazz the band performs. Myra’s compositions within the album were inspired from Eduardo Galeano’s literary work Memoria Del Fuego ( Memory Of Fire trilogy) on colonialism in Latin America and it’s relevant poetry with the actual title for her project being “Language of Dreams” where in concert it was presented with the addition of dance, visuals, poetry but here for the album it is just the Jazz.

Of course it is all about composition incorporated by Myra into the album’s structure with fairly up tempo time with repetition used in the opening track ‘Language” having some great added input from Liberty Ellman on guitar and Ron Miles’ cornet and for the following number “Night Of Sorrow” it is introspection laced with reminiscence with beautiful input from Myra added on piano. “Promised Land” contains great interplay between the band with Myra getting out the Melodica for the following “Ching Ching/ For The Love Of Fruit” with some really interesting results within the track and perhaps one of my favourites. Still everybody gets a go with Tyshawn Sorey roaring in for an opening drum solo for in “The Kitchen” in this more accentuated Avante track with a some wonderful slower material to follow with Stomu Takeishi’s bass and Myra Melford’s piano being the main components in “Times Of Sleep And Fate”. Still my album favourite would the 2nd last composition “ The Virgin Of Guadalupe” as well as the album’s longest with Ron Miles’ solo cornet opening with Myra adding gradual piano and it is always a delight when you barely notice other band members coming in behind throughout this lovely composition. It is a jaunt to finish the album up for “Strawberry” which contains more wonderful interplay between this highly talented Quintet.

Already it has been five years since this album’s recording and a new album with Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret has just recently been released and if the music from this release is anything to go by I won’t even bother to have a pre listen of the new one as it won’t be required, I’ll just buy it.

snobb Virtuosic pianist Myra Melford's music represents a significant link between more traditional advanced jazz of AACM and modern adventurous eclectic jazz of New York and Chicago. Studied composition with Henry Threadgill,she plays melodic and accessible music,which is far from simple or straightforward.

Among many of her different projects,Trio M (with acoustic bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Matt Wilson) is probably the brightest example demonstrating her ability to connect old and new. On Trio M debut album "Big Picture" one can find members originals,mostly already played and recorded before with different line-ups, but here them all sounds different.

Myra herself plays strongly Cecil Taylor-influenced percussive piano,which doesn't sound aggressive at all though. Her playing is more tuneful and less rhythmic comparing with Taylor, and all compositions have strong melodic line as well. Free jazz bassist Mark Dresser in pair with tradition-rooted drummer Matt Wilson(who played with Dewey Redman,Cecil McBee and Lee Konitz among many others)surprisingly build well-tuned groovy rhythm section which leaves lot of internal freedom for well-framed songs.

Probably the main effect from albums music comes from that HOW this trio of equal musical partners play their music.Each separate song and the album in whole sounds as if it would be played by guitar power trio,just the music have been adapted for free jazz piano trio. In other words, groovy muscular rhythm section pushes music ahead still having it under control every moment, freer solos and rhythm changes are hidden vitriolically and resulting music sounds simple and quirky at the same time. Depending on listener's experience and preparing to accept it, one can hear here something what recalls The Bad Plus nu jazz (as mentioned one of album's listener on Amazon)or Henry Threadgill kind of avant-garde jazz.

In both cases listener usually enjoys a lot of what he's hearing.Perfect entry album for those coming from rock-jazz background and interested to dig freer jazz deeper as well.

smartpatrol Trio M is a jazz trio made up of pianist Myra Melford, Bassist Mark Dresser, and drummer Matt Wilson. I first heard of them through the forums on jazzmusicarchives.com and then listened to the songs they put up on Soundcloud. And let me tell you, those songs were truely awesome. So I bought their 2nd album "The Guest House". The album is great. Each one of the musicians has their own individual style that compliments each other perfectly. You can really sense the chemistry between the three. The songs are different and varied, some start off as normal bop tunes and then explore until they're somewhere strange and new, some are slow and avant, lots of them seem to be very classical music-inspired. The 6th song, "The Promised Land", is best described as experimental hip hop, and the 4th song, "Sat Nam", is a short drum solo.

Favorite songs off the album: "The Guest House" "Don Knotts" "Hope (for the Cause)" "The Promised Land" "Ekoneni"

This is a fantastic album. I think any Jazz fan wanting something mainstream while also a little avant will love this one. 4/5