CD: Alan Broadbent

Alan Broadbent Trio Live At Giannelli Square: Volume 1 (Chilly Bin). No outer space explorer, Broadbent finds in the song form all that he needs for freedom earned through discipline. The technique he has intensified in recent years is evident in the precision and relaxation of his counterpoint in "Lullaby of the Leaves," stunning parallel constructions, speed and independence of hands in "Solar" and in dozens of other demonstrations of his skill. Broadbent's music, however, is not about chops. He concerns himself with beauty. The manifestations of it include his poignant reharmonization of "Embraceable You," called here "You and You Alone." Broadbent's longtime sidemen, bassist Putter Smith and drummer Kendall Kay, are strong and sensitive in support.