Setting Out

Josh Rawlings Trio
Climbing Stairs
Broken Time
4 stars ****

Armed with a handful of creative tunes, a piano and a recent degree from Cornish College of the Arts, Josh Rawlings and his trio are setting out to make a mark on the modern jazz landscape and doing a damn fine job of it. The classic three-piece ensemble pounds out tunes that are whimsical one minute, funky the next. Each track, composed by Rawlings, lilts around dexterous key-stroking and agile solos, nodding to Rawlings’ classical education but also flying into the fancies of the composer’s imagination. Bass and drums are solid by Nate Omdal and Adam Kessler respectively, and the three work together very well, coaxing each tune through to the funky conclusion. Track three, “Acquittal,” composed as an overlay to Thelonius Monk’s “Evidence,” is especially fun, with lots of dissonant harmonies and dramatic hesitations over propulsive drumming. With this album as a start, they’ll keep climbing! RACHEL DOVEY
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Climbing Stairs,” “Another Adventure”

Here’s an image of the full page article:

Also impressive is the Josh Rawlings Trio’s Climbing Stairs (Broken Time Records), on which the pianist works with bassist Nate Omdal and drummer Adam Kessler. They interpret eight solid originals by the Cornish College graduate. Rawlings is romantic, thoughtful player, and his sidemen are right there throughout. It’s an enjoyable disc. My only reservations is that it always seems odd, and does here, when an album of “originals” plays things so safe, stylistically. If Rawlings progresses, in that respect, to the point he has already reached in terms of delicacy and sophistication in composition, he’ll be a force to reckon with.

Here’s an image of the full page article: