Like Minds - Alan Broadbent Trio (CD)

Alan Broadbent is one of New Zealand's favorite musical sons and perhaps the most well-known and multi-talented of them all. Many are familiar with his arranging and conducting for Sir Paul McCartney Diana Krall Pat Metheny and Michael Bublé. Others may know Broadbent has eceived 8 Grammy nominations and won 2 Grammy Awards for Best Orchestral Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal one for Natalie Cole and one for Shirley Horn. On Like Minds Broadbent takes a seat on the piano bench for his third Savant recording with his trio featuring the great bassist Harvie S and the colorful drumming of Bil ly Mintz. Together these men play with notable clarity and poise and their performances - even those of familiar standards - are wonderfully tuneful sometimes whimsical and often moving with the overall effect always coming across as coolly engaging and totally spontaneous. I'm averse to playing what I jokingly call big band trio arrangements ' where everybody plays the rhythmic hits Broadbent explains. I'll get a big band if I want to do that. For me for the trio I want it to change every time. Spontaneous and off-the-cuff these 9 tracks may be but the closer you listen the more inventive and exquisitely crafted they sound with the recording showing that without a doubt these three superb musicians are of like minds indeed.