You wonder if they had drawn in advance who would bear the name of this trio. Drummer Jeff Ballard (USA), guitarist Lionel Loueke (Benin) and saxophonist Miguel Zenon (Puerto Rico) have more than earned their spurs as accompanists and band leaders. And that can be heard on Time's Tales where not only the roles are proportional but also the cultural backgrounds of the members resonate. For example,
… opener Virgin Forest by Loueke offers a steaming portion of afro jazz that bursts with energy. After such a strong start, the trio starts to play in a more searching and abstract way, almost in the traditions of Ballard's boss Brad Mehldau. There is even rave rocking in the Queens Of The Stone Age cover Hangin Tree. Maybe it's because of that strong opener, but it is striking that these three virtuosos are at their best when they, pretty straightforward grooving in afro and latin rhythms. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen much on Time's Tales, which as a whole drowns too much in complexity and abstraction. (MR)more
