Paul Plimley Trio

Plimley’s trio display uncanny rapport in a program of freely improvised group dynamics. The opening “Fishing for Bobby’s Treasure Chess,” builds overlapping clusters of solo and duo interludes into free floating proto-bop that recalls the pioneering tradition of Montreal’s Paul Bley. From minimalist ballads (“Snowfall”), funky ostinato vamps (“Here’s What Happened”), and airy effervescent swing (“Many People”), to the up-tempo drive of “Cookie’s Coffee” and “Teleparallelogram,” Plimley’s trio divide the loot with the agitated stealth and urgency of the aptly named title track. In contrast the impressionist ballad “An Exhiliration of Larks, and their Discovery of Fire” builds an atmosphere of floating suspense that showcases this trio’s ability to create lyrical and dramatic dialogues with almost infinite scope.