Geri Allen Trio Twenty One (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) 180g 2LP

The brilliant pianist and composer Geri Allen came out of Detroit's fertile jazz scene, eventually moving to New York where she became part of the emerging M-Base collective that was forging new creative ideas and approaches to jazz in the 1980s. Allen began recording for Blue Note in 1990 with The Nurturer followed by Maroons in 1992. For her third Blue Note album, Twenty One, recorded in 1994, Allen joined forces with two masters - bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams - for a dynamic trio date. Allen's stunning lyricism, as well as her boundless harmonic and rhythmic creativity, shines on this remarkable twelve-song set that presents her own compelling originals like "Feed The Fire," "RTG," and "In The Morning" alongside choice standards ("If I Should Lose You," "Tea For Two," "Lullaby Of The Leaves," and "Old Folks") and pieces by Thelonious Monk ("Introspection/Thelonious").

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Pianist Geri Allen has thus far been a very consistent performer, and all of her recordings are easily recommended. This particular set finds her in a trio with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams performing six of her originals along with six jazz standards. Allen's style is fairly original, with hints of Herbie Nichols, and her chancetaking but logical solos are generally quite stimulating.