Three gifted soloists don't always make a gifted trio - the competitive urge can undermine the give and take. But Acoustic Triangle, the drumless jazz threesome -made up of bassist Malcolm Creese, plus pianist John Horler and saxophonist Tim Garland - make the most of their individual voices within a unique ensemble sound.
Their repertoire is wide, taking in Maurice Ravel and Olivier Messiaen alongside the works of Kenny Wheeler and Ralph Towner. On the evidence of this gig, the trio are likely to convert a few doubters unconvinced by marriages of swing and European formal music. Garland, whose recent work with Chick Corea seems to be giving him more confidence and authority by the week, is now so expressive in tone and timbre that he is captivating even when playing the familiar written themes, let alone his own improvisations. And Horler - a frequent partner of that veteran explorer of jazz/classical connections, Tony Coe - is both an eloquently delicate soloist and an alert and subtly supportive accompanist. Creese isn't a domineering bassist - he avoids a percussive attack and keeps his amplification down. Instead, he is one of the most melodically accurate and graceful bassists in the UK.
Garland's mix of a fragile and tremulous tenor tone (close to the pre-Rollins/Coltrane cool sound) and sweepingly broad resources of spontaneous melody brought new illumination to Kenny Wheeler's poignant tune Everybody's Song But My Own. Horler elegantly echoed the shapes of the saxophonist's closing phrases with the close-marking instincts he showed all night. Three Ravel pieces balanced a classical ensemble's careful timbre against episodes of bluesy walking and freewheeling improvisation. Garland opened a Wheeler tango by playing the tenor under the piano lid to produce an eerie echo, and wailed uninhibitedly on soprano in Horler's blues waltz Around in Three.
A real class act, bringing energy and drive to a kind of crossover performance more often akin to walking on eggshells.
Acoustic Triangle play the Cheltenham Town Hall (01242 237377) on July 3.
