Less is more. Everybody out there knows that timeless adage about having so much impact in whatever one does by doing less. It is an adage that proves true – and has proven true – in so many avenues of life. Jazz pianist Dimitri Landrain took that old adage fully to heart with his new album, Astor’s Place, — released under the moniker of the Dimitri Landrain Trio — this past July. Released July 28 through Zoho Music, the nine-song record does so much with so little as Landrain and his fellow musicians – bassist Jim Robertson and drummer Keith Balla – turn out each original composition. Considering this and how crowded the field has been this year in the jazz community, the trio’s simple approach in each song makes Astor’s Place a record that deserves its own place among the most notable of this year’s new, modern jazz records. That is proven in part through the record’s midpoint, ‘Lovers In The Rain,’ which will be addressed shortly. ‘O Carnaval,’ which serves as part of the album’s second half, does its own share to show what makes the album stand out and will be examined a little later. The record’s opener/title track is yet another example of what makes these simple yet so engaging and entertaining songs worth hearing and will also be addressed later. When it is considered along with the other tracks noted here and with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes Astor’s Place a work that is a truly surprisingly enjoyable addition to this year’s massively crowded field of new jazz albums.
Astor’s Place, the recently released record from the Dimitri Landrain Trio, is a wonderful example of jazz done right and how less truly creates so much more. Each of the nine songs that make up the record’s body make that clear, not the least of which being the midpoint entry, ‘Lovers In The Rain.’ According to the album’s liner notes, the song’s subtle arrangement “has a bittersweet vibe, as if two lovers are seeing each other for the last time in the rain.” That is an intriguing description because at least to this critic in particular, that bittersweet vibe is really only even slightly present in the nearly four-minute composition’s opening bars. That is exhibited through Landrain’s gentle, subtle performance on the piano. Throughout the rest of the song, the tone comes across as being more positive than bittersweet. Balla’s gentle, barely there work “stirring the pot” with his brushes on the snare and light touches on the ride cymbal work so well with Robertson’s light accents to make the whole actually something surprisingly enjoyable. Knowing what is presented in the liner notes about this song, it would have been so easy for all three performers to let this composition get overly schmaltzy, but thankfully the control that all three men exhibited throughout makes the song anything but. Rather the group’s performance gives the song so much unsuspecting warmth that is certain to keep any listener engaged and entertained.
‘Lovers In The Rain’ is just one of the songs that serves so well to show what makes Astor’s Place worth hearing. ‘O Carnaval,’ which comes a little later in the album’s 39-minute run time, does just as much to prove what makes the record engaging and entertaining. Clocking in at 3 minutes, 5 seconds, the song is meant as a celebration of music that is commonly associated with Brazil’s famed Carnival celebration, according to the album’s liner notes. The irony here is that again, the trio’s approach here is that less is more stylistic approach. The Afro-Latin percussion is there courtesy of Balla’s work, as is his stead Latin beat on the drums. Landrain does just as well presenting the familiar samba style sounds that are part of Carnival. By contrast, the sounds that fill the streets of Brazil during Carnival are so much fierier (in a positive way). That Landrain and company could still so successfully capture the energy of Carnival even in such a simple presentation is impressive to say the very least. It makes for such an intriguing piece that is certain to put a smile on any listener’s face in its own right.
One more example of how much this record has to offer audiences is the record’s opener/title track. According to the record’s liner notes, is a tribute to Astor Piazzolla. Piazzolla was a famed composer of Argentinian descent who died in 1992. During his life, Piazzolla’s work was the foundation of a new subgenre of tango known simply as “new tango.” “New Tango” is a subgenre of tango that blends elements of jazz and classical music. By comparison, original tango music is meant more for dance while “new tango” is more based in theory and composition and less as a form of dance music. That more “modern” approach is exhibited through the slightly odd time signature in ‘Astor’s Place’ which finds Balla keeping a particular time with subtle ghost notes alongside Robertson. Even Landrain himself has a lot going on in his own performance, giving more of a percussive performance with some notable classical influence throughout the staccato performance. The tension that the group creates in the original composition does quite well to – as Landrain notes in the liner notes —
capture the spirit and passion of tango” while “alternating restlessness and relief.” The whole herein makes for a piece that Afro-Latin jazz fans and more casual jazz fans alike will find appealing because it balances, so well, those leanings from beginning to end of the song. When the positive impact of this composition is considered alongside that of the other songs examined here and with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes Astor’s Place a surprisingly welcome work for any jazz fan.
Astor’s Place, the new record from the Dimitri Landrain Trio, is a sleeper hit among this year’s field of new jazz albums. It is so unsuspecting in its simple approach, and that makes it all the more engaging and entertaining. Each of the songs examined here make that clear. Each song presents its own unique musical identity separate from one another and from the album’s other entries through their less is more approaches and sounds. When they are considered along with those other entries, the whole makes Astor’s Place a record that proves it deserves its own place among this year’s field of top new jazz albums.
Astor’s Place is available now. More information on this and other titles from Zoho Music is available at https://zohomusic.com.
