Pandelis Karayorgis Trio: Heart and Sack

Karayorgis’ judicious use of the piano’s mass and force is also very much in evidence on Heart and Sack, a mostly self-penned trio date with bassist Nate McBride and drummer Randy Peterson. Karayorgis tenaciously hones single note lines, as on the quavering, Andrew Hillish ballad, “What Did I Say?,” making his surging, tightly arpeggiated chords and quicksilver sweeps of the registers all the more surprising.

Though he repeatedly mines spare phosphorescent phrases-particularly on his brief reading of Ellington’s “Frustration”-Karayorgis also revels in fleet, agile swing at strategic points in the program. His head-on take of Dolphy’s “Miss Ann” and his effortless shifts into a simmering double-time on his own “I Heard Things” are particularly satisfying.

Despite Karayorgis’ well-defined imprint on the album, this is a collective effort from beginning to end. McBride and Peterson’s fluent contributions are essential to the program’s pace and impact.

Originally Published July 1, 1999