''MGM Trio'' is an album by pianist

Marilyn Crispell Marilyn Crispell (born March 30, 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Scott Yanow described her as "a powerful player... who has her own way of using space... She is near the top of her field." Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrot ...

, drummer

Gerry Hemingway Gerry Hemingway (born March 23, 1955) is an American drummer and composer. Hemingway was a member of the Anthony Braxton quartet from 1983 to 1994. He has also performed with Ernst Reijseger, Anthony Davis, Earl Howard, Leo Smith, George E. ...

, and reed player

Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...

. Four tracks were recorded live at De Singel in Antwerp, Belgium on November 28, 1994, while the remaining tracks were recorded at Nevessa Studio in Saugerties, New York on December 23, 1995. The album, which features compositions by Moore, was released in 1996 by Ramboy Recordings. The trio is named after the players' first initials.

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Thom Jurek wrote that all of the pieces on the album are "stellar and literally gorgeously played," and commented: "Moore's compositions with their long, lush lines and extended harmonics and colors are perfect for Crispell. She's not a foil here, but a partner...Gerry Hemingway... swings like mad and offers Crispell more room for her expansive chord voicings... This is a wondrous album, full of magic, mystery, and beauty." The authors of the ''

Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled by ...

'' described the band as "a group of equals," and noted: "it's Crispell one hears first and last, teasing out the mysterious beauty of songs like 'Temperamental Annie' and 'The Pound Fell Down'." Writing for ''

Cadence In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin ''cadentia'', "a falling") is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (1999) ...

'', Dale Smoak stated: "the group dynamic is predominantly light, playful and conversational... It's Moore who keeps the melodicism explicit... As for Crispell and Hemingway, this date is far from the heaviest one they've made, but I expect to play it often."

Track listing

All compositions by Michael Moore. # "Real Goods" – 7:18 # "Temperamental Annie" – 5:38 # "Sun House" – 3:26 # "The Pound Fell Down" – 10:50 # "The Bigger The Dot, The Better The Fishing" – 9:18 # "Clue?" – 4:00 # "Tsurau" – 9:18 # "Squaw Rock" – 3:28

Personnel

– B♭ clarinet *

– piano *

– drums, marimba, steel drums

References

{{Reflist 1996 live albums Marilyn Crispell live albums