The Lou Malandra Trio
Out of Our Silence
ALM Recordings LM97001CD

Malandra, voice; Doug Roche, keyboards; Ron Bland, acoustic bass

As a poet myself, my first reaction to this delightful collection was, "Why didn't I think of that?" when I saw Malandra describe himself as PoeJazz. Isn't that creative? And it gets better as the CD unfolds. Malandra's is one of the best recitative voices I've heard, especially when he's interpreting the work of another poet, such as his sly rendition of T. S. Eliot's charming "Jellicle Cats"to the music of Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder," retitled "Sidewindin' Jellicle Cats."

His original material is also excellent, like the title piece, an a cappella introduction to twelve well-programmed works by such other poets as Maya Angelou, Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes, and Robert Frost. Walt Whitman's gorgeous "A Night of Summer Stars" is melodiously accompanied by Ferde Grofé's Grand Canyon Suite. The trio is completed by pianist Doug Roche, who has also written several of the musical pieces, and Ron Bland, whose sonorous bass is a great complement to Malandra's always-interesting and dynamic voice.

by Francesca Nemko

Out of Our Silence is available through the Jazz Now Direct CD Store.