Schifrin / Schuller / Shapiro: Piano Trios

"Shapiro turns out to be a sleeper. His 1992 Trio blends the simplicities of minimalism with folk music in a way that manages to avoid the pitfalls of either influence and creates a strong, personal statement. These three works are very enjoyable and mix well as a program."
- American Record Guide (Moore) May/June 2001

"The subtext of this latest entry in Naxos' American Classics series is the eclectic thrust of contemporary American music, with a particular focus on the comfortable place jazz influences have assumed in traditional concert works. Best of the lot is Schuller's 1984 trio, in which the composer's refined formalism is liberated through the fantasy-like play of vivacious rhythms and alluring melodies. Schifrin's Homage a Ravel dips into South American rhythms, a bolero and other evocations of Ravel. Meanwhile, Shapiro stirs minimalism into a wild mix that also references Brahms and Prokofiev. The play of sources gets pretty cramped at times, but it's fun while it lasts."
- Detroit News and Free Press (Mark Stryker) April 22, 2001

The three American trios that fill this disc were composed by Lalo Schifrin (b. 1932), Gunther Schuller (b. 1925), and Gerald M. Shapiro (b. 1942). Lalo Schifrin's Hommage a' Ravel (1995) is an eclectic mix of impressionism, African and South American rhythms, jazz and Middle-Eastern scales. The second movement of his trio is a gaucho tango, the third is an elegie on a visit to the misty graveside of Maurice Ravel, and the 'fun' finale in which each instrument has it's own cadenza. Gunther Schuller's Piano Trio (1984) is a wonderful synthesis of jazz and classical music. He combines a tone-row with the beat of the heart and the jazzy- swing rhythms of Oscar Peterson. Gerald Shapiro's delightful Piano Trio (1922) reflects the post-impressionism contrapuntal writing of his teachers. Milhaud and Boulanger, spiced with bits of Prokofiev, Brahms, post-Webern serialism and jazz.