Nocturne

In Nocturne, the great bassist Charlie Haden focuses on the classic bolero in its Cuban and Mexican manifestations. He's joined by the Cuban team of pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and percussionist Ignacio Berroa, the trio playing host to a series of starry guests. Haden first met Rubalcaba in 1986, at the Havana Jazz Plaza Festival, since when they've been frequent collaborators. The bassist must be congratulated on his luscious production job, crafting a succulent sound that exudes a gliding sophistication, always taken at a beautifully measured pace. Charlie coaxes out some wondrously low bass vibrations and Berroa supplies a whispered, military soft-shoe snare-shuffle to several numbers, adding soft bongo droplets around the edges. Rubalcaba's primary concern is to make his rationed notes float interminably, his pursuit of the melodic line always completely relaxed. Pat Metheny strums acoustic guitar on "Night of Wandering", employing angular strokes that call to mind Django Reinhardt just as much as any supposed Mexican stylings. Six numbers feature either Joe Lovano or David Sanchez, seductively buffing with their cottony tenor saxophones, while violinist Federico Britos Ruiz lends his emotive violin talents to three cuts. Haden also contributes a pair of originals, his "Nightfall" including a bass solo in which every note is savoured and swilled around the palate. This is a quite exceptional album, surely one of the most laid back sessions in existence, but far removed from any blandness.

Martin Longley