CASEY GOLDEN TRIO – CLARITY

Hailing from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Casey Golden has studied jazz piano in New York (with Aaron Goldberg and  Barney McAll, among others) and London. Still in his early 20s, on his debut release Clarity he demonstrates a technique remarkable for its economy, and a flair for composition with a contemporary edge. On tracks like Twice Removed, he and his trio – Brendan Clark on bass and Rob Turner on drums – navigate sudden shifts in tempo with a loose-limbed restraint that recalls the work of Bill Evans. Golden drapes delicate shapes over a three-note bass figure on the latin-tinged  I Can Fathom It, Turner’s fills detonating like tiny firecrackers.  Waiting begins with tentative chords, evoking a swimmer’s halting descent into chilly water before surrendering to the current. Clark’s exploratory bass rides the slowly building piano pulse, recalling the slow-burn interplay of The Necks. This is a beautifully recorded album, warm and woody sounding, interspersed with snippets (Ready Ready Ready and Interludes I and II) that hint tantalisingly at an experimental streak not yet tapped.  Early days yet.

***1/2