Fusion Point: Morning Rain

Fusion Point are a jazz trio hailing from St. Petersburg, Russia and Morning Rain is their first release. In the band are Kirill Sokirko (piano), Dmitry Malygin (bass) and Roman Smirnov (drums). I will start by saying Morning Rain is one of the most melodic jazz albums I have ever heard and folks, over the last few years I have heard quite a few.

The band is clearly led by Sokirko's beautiful piano work as he is the melodic force behind the trio. His playing is poignant and classy and very accessible and a joy to listen to. Of course there are two other band members here adding their crisp rhythms to the trio's pianofied sound. The album's eight tracks are all melodically strong with not a weak one in the bunch. It is clear the band takes a compositional approach to songwriting as improvisation takes a back seat to well written pieces lying mostly in the spectrum of smooth jazz.

The first piece is "Mania" beginning with a lovely piano intro and light cymbal taps. It is a modern smooth jazz sound and the playing is superb. The rhythm section has just the right amount of snap to complement Sokirko's fluid and melodic piano lines. In the slightly wistful "Waltz 'n' Blues" I had an overwhelming sense of nostalgia as the band captures classic jazz in fine fashion. With "A Very Tough Day" the band combines smooth jazz with their classical background and Malygin's bass really comes to the forefront. In the tasteful title track the melody takes on tinges of sadness going for a more plaintive sound and as with all the tracks the sound is clean and clear. This album is exceptionally produced from start to finish. I could go on but suffice to say there are no duds here.

If you are searching for jazz with great melodies and a high degree of accessibility, Morning Rain should suit you just fine. Highly recommended.

Track Listing:
1. Mania
2. Waltz 'n' Blues
3. A Very Tough Day
4. Morning Rain
5. Japanese Girl
6. 9,11 & 7
7. I Say Yes
8. The Brilliant Way

Added: February 27th 2012
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 3608
Language: english

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