Jon Hazilla Trio: Tiny Capers

Tiny Capers (Double Time DTRCD-180; 49:51), by the drummer-led Jon Hazilla trio, features pianist Bruce Barth and bassist John Lockwood. This is a deceptively amiable session. It all flows so smoothly, as Barth laces his solos with one subversive idea after another: disrupting the harmonic flow here, twisting the rhythm back on itself there. Hazilla’s “Saindo” and “Fractals” form a kind of centerpiece for the record; the former is a spiky blues, the latter a clever elliptical cousin of “Oleo” on “Rhythm” changes. The arrangement of Tadd Dameron’s “On a Misty Night” and Benny Carter’s “When Lights Are Low” merges the two in counterpoint between bass and piano. Hazilla’s low-key approach-light but insistently creative-provides a fine foundation for the proceedings.

Originally Published January 1, 2002