This follow-up to last year's outstanding debut from this brilliant British piano trio finds Curios ploughing its own highly original furrow. This is fresh, inventive and distinctive jazz, drawing in diverse influences to shape a very individual visi
on. Pianist Tom Cawley, bassist Sam Burgess and drummer Joshua Blackmore can move seamlessly from touching lyricism to fiery expressiveness, and across the course of 10 originals chart a course which is utterly absorbing. Curios sound as if they are mapping out new territory for the piano trio, and it is being done with an unforced joyousness. AV
Hiromi: Beyond Standard (Telarc) £13.99Hiromi's powerhouse piano technique has been well showcased on her series of Telarc CDs, and here she is again, this time taking on a bunch of standards. She flits between piano and keyboard as she roars through the likes of Caravan and My Favourite Things, aided by some flashy contributions from guitarist David Fiuczynnski, before showing her mastery of older piano styles on a solo run through I've Got Rhythm. It's brightly-lit, beautifully played music, and Hiromi's a formidable pianist. The trouble is, it's all technique and no feeling and leaves the listener strangely unmoved. AV
Avison: Concerti Grossi Op. 9 & 10 Divine Art DDA 21211 (2CDs) £22.99With his acclaimed subscription concerts, Charles Avsion elevated Newcastle to England's most important 18th century provincial musical centre. On his death his own works sadly disappeared and were only rediscovered in recent times, these two groups of Concerti Grossi now receiving their first recording. Vivaldi was obviously an inspiration, the music lively and expertly crafted. Directed from the violin by the famous Baroque expert, Pavlo Beznosiuk, the playing of the Avison Ensemble is superb. First class sound engineering. DD
Khachaturian: Violin & Piano Concertos Regis RRC1300 £9.99Largely unknown outside of the Soviet Union, Boris Gutnikov's performance of Khachaturian's Violin Concerto even surpasses the legendary recording by David Oistrakh. It sizzles with virtuosity, often taken at hair-raising speeds, and all with a clarity and accuracy that is truly remarkable. In a lower league, Annette Servadei's account of the Piano Concerto is reliable and enjoyable. Both recorded in the 1980s, the violin concerto is making if first appearance in the west. Buy it and be amazed. DD
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