*** EDDY LOUISS, “Eddy Louiss Trio,” Dreyfus Jazz

Paris-born keyboardist Eddy Louiss is an invisible man in the United States. The son of Martinque trumpeter Pierre Louise, he recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Jean-Luc Ponty, Stan Getz and Stephane Grappelli in Europe during the ‘60s and early ‘70s and has been active with his own bands since. But he remains a virtual unknown here.

This organ trio reissue, recorded in 1968 with drummer Kenny Clarke, shows what we’ve missed. In selections from Clarke, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Horace Silver and others, Louiss drives the Hammond with speed and grace while emphasizing the instrument’s electronic tonal quality. His play has the kind of aggressive determination associated with the late organ innovator Larry Young, yet he’s also capable of tenderness and lyrical introspection. There’s a spring in his step as he walks the bass pedals. His accompaniment is crisp and attentive.

Clarke (who died in 1985) underscores Louiss’ drive with propulsive, to-the-beat play that transcends his bebop-innovator reputation. Guitarist Rene Thomas plays with equal persistence, if not with his bandmates’ invention. The strong impact this nearly 30-year-old date carries suggests a question: What’s Louiss sounding like today?

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