It’s come to something when a jazz piano trio needs to point out that they play tunes and avoid “avant garde practices”. But, fair enough, that’s what the aptly named New Simplicity Trio do, demonstrating in the process that originality doesn’t have to be complicated. Pianist Bruno Heinen, bassist Henrik Jensen and drummer Antonio Fusco play with notable clarity and poise, their compositions are indeed tuneful, and the total effect is coolly attractive. What’s more, they seem not to have been unduly influenced by anyone. These 10 tracks make perfectly good casual listening, but the closer you listen, the more ingenious and elegantly put together they sound.
