Talented Arriale Stymied by Her Stylistic Choice

Pianist Lynne Arriale, winner of the 1993 International Great American Jazz Competition, opened a five-day run at the Jazz Bakery Tuesday night with an unusual approach to her trio of piano, bass and drums.

The piano trio is one of the fundamental jazz ensembles, basic and essential yet with a creative potential similar to that afforded by the string quartet in classical music. Arriale’s technique establishes what she describes as a “dialogue” between the players, with a kind of equality of presence allocated to each.

The method is, in some ways, comparable to the dialogue pianist Bill Evans established initially with bassist Scott Lafaro in the early ‘60s, later with other bassists. Evans and Lafaro roamed freely around each other’s lines, interacting, counterbalancing, underscoring, creating a true--and almost always fascinating--musical conversation.

In Arriale’s case, however, the primary dialogue takes place between her piano and Steve Davis’ drums, with bassist Jeff D’Angelo participating primarily in a supporting role. The difference between the combination of piano and bass (as in the Evans/Lafaro partnership) and that of piano and drums, however, is substantial. Lacking the pitch and tonal resources of the bass, a drummer is obliged to find non-pitched sounds with which to respond to the piano’s melodies and harmonies.

Arriale’s program, rich with standards such as “Bye, Bye Blackbird,” “Where or When” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” as well as a few originals and a familiar jazz line or two, offered plenty of opportunity to demonstrate that the piano-drums interaction could work effectively. And, from Arriale’s half of the mix, it did. She is a superb talent, with an imaginative gift for improvisation. Her soloing, without exception, was thoughtful, even compositional at times, in the way in which she brought cohesion and structure to her lines.

But the dialogue with the drums was too often foiled by Davis’ tendency to perform in a monologue. Busy to the point of distraction, he seemed incapable--or, at least, disinterested--in allowing a moment to pass without inserting a cymbal bash, a snare drum roll or a melodramatic (and visually distracting) snapping of drumsticks. The result was that Arriale’s attractive melodies lost their sense of pacing, even their opportunity to breathe, in the onslaught of virtually nonstop percussive fills.

It may well be that Arriale could make the piano-drums dialogue work, but only with a drummer with the sensitivity to both the sounds and the silences essential to creative musical expression. In the meantime, it would be nice to hear her play one or two solo numbers in her sets, if only for the opportunity to fully experience her gifted playing.

* The Lynne Arriale Trio at the Jazz Bakery through Saturday. 3233 Helms Ave. (310) 271-9039. $17 admission through Saturday, 8:30 p.m. $15 admission through Saturday, 10:15 p.m.