Resolution

With the release of Resolution, Xavi Reija's trio has delivered the goods first displayed in 2009's DVD of the Electric Trio (Live at Casa Murada). That release showcased three young and gifted progressive jazz players with impressive credentials and undeniable chops but, more importantly, brimming with fresh ideas. Shedding both keys and sax from the Xavi Reija Quintet format, the Catalan drummer from Barcelona has chosen to construct a leaner sound machine that, through careful sharpening of the remaining weapons in the arsenal, has produced some of the finest post-rock avant jazz out there today. Muscular polyrhythmic grooves of propulsive drumming and Bernat Hernandez' funk bass riffing lay the solid foundation for innovative guitar phrasings by Dusan Jevtovic which consider the space between the notes as significant as the notes themselves. And the notes? Elegantly played melodic jazz riffing and subtle volume pedalwork may ultimately yield to feedback and dissonance if the track calls for it. But the drum also waltzes. Delicate and thoughtful kit-work with deft guitar loops add texture and ambience to the sonic pallet making this trio feel more akin to a small orchestra scoring for some incredible film. There is an intelligence at work here - a painterly approach that enthusiastically seeks to redefine the sonic possibilities that the trio format can bring to the table. Another extraordinary talent discovered by MoonJune Records' cosmopolitan honcho Leonardo Pavkovic.