Three apprehensive reharmonizations of “My Favorite Things” are a moody thread running through Haunted Heart and Other Ballads (hatOLOGY 581; 65:55) by the Marc Copland trio. Against this backdrop, Copland goes on to play with the shadows, casting elating illumination and a kind of cloudy angst in measured proportions. The trio interplay here is on a very high order, the product of a regular weekly gig of some duration to which drummer Jochen Rueckert, a master of temporal texture, is the relative newcomer. Bassist Drew Gress and Copland have been at it for a long time, and cohesion is in evidence at all times. The program take some interesting turns along the way: Sting’s “When We Dance” matches up with Copland’s “Dark Territory” to find uplifting strains that serve as answers to the questions raised by the indigo-deep “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and the title track. Throughout, these are impressive performances that stay with the listener. Haunted Heart and Other Ballads is a wonderful recording.
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