Music review: Louis Durra Trio

Possibly the best musical GBP4 worth you'll find on the Fringe, Los Angeles pianist Louis Durra's lunchtime spot at The Jazz Bar finds him gelling nicely with local sidemen Brian Shiels on double bass and Chris Wallace on drums.

The initial impression, this first gig, was that the three of them were getting to know each other and having an infectiously enjoyable time in the process.

They slid into motion easefully and were soon cruising nicely over strolling bass, Durra proving an articulate and melodic player, occasionally accompanying himself on wordless vocals and ranging from familiar standards to some interesting covers well beyond the usual jazz repertoire.

He generated a ringing take on Belle and Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister, for instance, and the old Tears For Fears hit Mad World, which particularly suited Durra's lyrical conversion job.

Back in more familiar jazz territory, Wallace's brushwork propelled the trio through a bossa shuffle while they worked up a Ramsey Lewis-like strut in Durra's own Line For Sam. Another self-penned number, Darn That Dream, was led by Shiels' fluid bass work, Durra's laid-back piano ruminating gently in the background.

It was a rewardingly creative hour's work, and it will be interesting to see how their sound has evolved at the end of their three-week run.