January/February 2007

Jay Lawrence Trio
Thermal Strut
OA2 Records

By Forrest Dylan Bryant

This lively straightahead date matches Jay Lawrence’s precision drumming with the graceful piano and stylish arrangements of Tamir Hendelman. The pair is exuberant on up-tempo numbers and soothing on ballads, maintaining an unflappable poise throughout: The Beatles, Jobim and Herbie Hancock all get the uptown-swing treatment. The session sounds squeaky-clean without becoming antiseptic, note-perfect but never dull. And bassist Lynn Seaton nearly steals the show with his Slam Stewart-esque vocalizing on the title track.