Live at Starbucks
Ray Brown's trio can always be counted on for music that swings  mightily, but the group--with long-time pianistGeoff Keezerand newly arrived drummer Karreem Riggins--outdoes itself on this live Seattle recording. Having begun his jazz career in 1945, Brown still sounds here like the bassist who defined his instrument's role in modern jazz, combining rock-solid time, flawless intonation, and fleet, articulate solos. During his long career, Brown has collaborated with some great pianists--Bud Powell,Oscar Peterson,Phineas Newborn, andDuke Ellington--and there are touches of each in Keezer, who has grown tremendously during his stay with Brown. It shows equally in the rambunctious virtuosity of "When I Fall in Love" and the ballad depths of "This House Is Empty Now." The repertoire--originals, standards, swing and bop classics, and the trio's energetic mix of experience and youth--virtually define the jazz mainstream.Lester Young's "Lester Leaps In" has some bop harmonies added to its swing, whileEllington's "Caravan" gets a dense, modal treatment, even including a quotation fromMcCoy Tyner's patented handling of "My Favorite Things." Recording this session during the Ellington centenary in 1999, Brown seems to have had Duke very strongly in mind, and his pizzicato lead on "Love You Madly" and the intense bowed theme of "Caravan" are among the most effective of recent tributes. There are even some Ellington voicings in the lyrical treatment ofJ.J. Johnson's "Lament."  While Brown and Keezer are usually in the forefront, Riggins fits in admirably, feeding the controlled complexity ofTadd Dameron's boppish "Our Delight" and contributing mightily to the big-band momentum of "Main Stem."--Stuart Broomer