Impressive Swiss pianist has room for improvement

Anyone doubting the global spread of jazz is directed to the Jazz Bakery tonight to hear the playing of Swiss pianist Moncef Genoud. Little known in this country, his style blends the harmonic textures of Bill Evans and the angular lines of Lennie Tristano with his own rhythmic buoyancy and two-handed virtuosity.

Although his classical technique occasionally imparted a touch of stiffness to his middle-tempo numbers, Genoud’s fast tunes and, especially, his ballad playing were impressive Monday in his opening set.

The most engaging piece, in fact, was a slow romantic song dedicated to his wife. Playing the melody with a rubato touch, occasionally delaying phrases for emphasis, he skimmed across the surface of the harmonies, subtly enhancing the tune’s inner lyricism.

Genoud’s set-closing romp through “Giant Steps” began with a brilliant opening cadenza, filled with explosive bursts of notes before launching into a rapid, hard-driving series of chord-leaping improvised choruses. Here, as elsewhere in the set, he was ably supported by the flowing bass work of Tom Warrington and the textured drumming of Joe La Barbera.

But even those marvelous craftsmen couldn’t quite rescue Genoud’s middle-tempo numbers, which too often tended to fall into similarly repetitive patterns. Nor did he aid his accessibility by devoting almost his entire program to his less than compelling originals.

As a player with little visibility to local audiences, Genoud would do well to display his wares in a few standard numbers. Familiar reference points would provide perspectives with which to more thoroughly view the talent of this unquestionably able international artist.

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Moncef Genoud Trio

Where: The Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City

When: Tonight, 8 and 9:30

Price: $25

Contact: (310) 271-9039