JAZZ REVIEWS : Eric Reed’s Compelling Pianism

Eric Reed, the 23-year-old pianist who has earned valuable exposure with the Wynton Marsalis group, was at the Brasserie of the Bel Age Hotel Tuesday and Wednesday leading his own trio.

Reed’s knowledge of the roots of jazz enables him to skip decades with consummate ease, applying his technical finesse to everything from the traditional “Wade in the Water” to popular and jazz standards and an occasional original.

His own “Never Say Never” established the engagingly unified personality of the trio, with Willie Jones III on drums and the exceptional John Clayton Jr. on bass.

“You Don’t Know What Love Is,” a 1941 ballad, brought out dual moods, romantic and assertive, in Reed, along with an arco contribution by Clayton. Bobby Watson’s “E.T.A.” found the threesome in a more contemporary mode.

Reed may not yet have found his own firm identity as a stylist, but in his more inventive moments he shows strong potential. His best offering by far was “Every Time We Say Goodbye,” a 1940s love song that he developed brilliantly, enriching its already opulent harmonic lines, then doubling the beat as the intensity built. Following a Clayton chorus, Reed returned to the original mood and tempo for a well-conceived finale.