JAZZ REVIEW : Sunshine From Keyboard of Marcos Ariel

When everything’s working right, there’s nothing quite like the combination of jazz and Latin rhythms to lift the spirits and bring a little joy to one’s life. At At My Place, everything was working just fine as Brazilian pianist-composer Marcos Ariel showed up to fill the room with South American musical sunshine.

Devoting much of his set to pieces from a new WEA album, “Terra Do Indio,” Ariel revealed a major-league compositional talent. His vibrant works--rich with shifting multiple rhythms--managed to combine the twists and turns of be-bop articulation with the soaring melodies of the samba. While his piano playing sometimes seemed technically restricted Thursday night, Ariel more than made up for any shortcomings in the breadth and reach of his improvisations with a rhythmic touch powerful enough to dominate the group’s sound.

He was aided enormously by the presence of the remarkable Justo Almario in the front line. Shifting from alto to tenor to soprano saxophone, playing a collection of pieces that were as musically demanding as they were energetic, Almario never made a false move. On one or two soprano solos, he sailed up into the rarefied atmosphere that was once the exclusive domain of John Coltrane.

Drummer Ron Wagner and bassist Jerry Watts were equally important to the musical mix, with Wagner’s ability to bring tone and color to his percussion beautifully balanced by Watts’ subtle dynamic variations.

Ariel and his full ensemble will take the stand at the Biltmore Hotel’s Grand Avenue Bar tonight.