Inverted Tango, by Holland Court Jazz Trio
A piano trio whose leader is their bassist? Such is the Holland Court Jazz Trio, but the unusual arrangement makes sense, as bassist Frank Wagner and drummer Dave Meade have been collaborating since the late 1990s. Pianist Dave Marck, however, provides the melodic heartbeat to this new combo. Marck isn't the only one to provide the palpitations, though, as violinist Ben Sutin provides often swirling flair to five of Inverted Tango's eight selections.
Inspired by a Carla Bley piece, Wagner takes the tango from its usual stately sexiness into myriad shapes that atomize but never abandon the dance rhythm's essence. A similar reimagining is performed on a Thelonious Monk number, and what the guys wreak on a Jimi Hendrix classic parallels the fun Kronos Quartet have had interpreting the psychedelic bluesman's catalog.
But Holland Court isn’t all about spinning their own takes on others' work. Included here, among other things, are two reflections by Wagner on incidents from the Covid era and an exercise in modal composition that also provides a ferocious dance groove unrestricted by the tango's perimeters.
