Pianist Neil Cowley has dabbled with many styles. He was classical trained and has tackled Shostakovich but found he preferred playing pubs to fancy venues and has more than paid his way with guest spots on pop/rock albums, notably Adele's platinum winning 19 and 21.
Working with a trio, his 2006 debut, Displaced, won the BBC jazz award and garnered plaudits from those who wouldn't normally touch a jazz record with a bargepole. An appearance on Jool Holland's Later helped seal the band's crossover appeal.
Taking jazzed-up mood music beyond a niche market seems to have driven Cowley's thinking up till now so his tunes have regularly featured punchy rhythms, funky beats and even hints of rock dynamics.
Ironically, having succeeded in reaching a wider audience in this manner he found that many fans were actually not put off by more meditative pieces.
Inspired by the success of playing 'quieter' music at a 2012 concert at London's Barbican, Cowley was prompted to try a departure from the kind of material that led him to ironically name the trio's second album 'Loud...Louder...Stop'. Gone too are the strings and guitar which featured on 2012's The Face of Mount Molehill.
The trio's fifth album is therefore a more stripped down affair which is described as their "concert hall record".
Although you feel that most of the pieces could easily be reworked into full orchestral versions, they benefit greatly from being kept to a more modest scale. This brings out the subtle interplay between the three musicians Cowley, Evan Jenkins on drums and Rex Horan on bass. (For some reason, a close up of Horan's impressive red beard appears the cover).
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The nine tracks are rhythmically rich yet free of gimmicky hooks or token crescendos with the emphasis being on creating a less frenetic atmosphere.
While the mood is soothing the tunes are by no means static. Sparkling, for example, has a real sense of momentum while the restless beats of Couch Slouch are not as lazy as the title suggests.
The two longest tracks show off the range and subtlety of the playing to best advantage - the classy opener Kneel Down and the suitably regal Queen contain Jarrett-like moments of Zen and a real sense of harmony.
The Art is the only track where we hear the piano as a solo instrument and closes proceedings in a dignified fashion.
This is an album of meticulously crafted instrumentals that functions as sophisticated background music yet also rewards deeper listening.
Neil Cowley Trio's website
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