Patrick Zimmerli: Piano Trios (2004)

Patrick Zimmerli's Trios (2) for violin, cello, and piano are eclectic works, in which contemporary popular styles and modern jazz merge within a recognizably classical form. Yet Zimmerli's eclecticism is quite thorough and frank, with none of the one-shot cuteness of the parodist or the naïveté of the amateur. He clearly enjoys working in several idioms -- most notably as a jazz performer -- and he has internalized several musical languages well, so it is difficult to isolate any particular influence in his melodies, ... Read More

Patrick Zimmerli's Trios (2) for violin, cello, and piano are eclectic works, in which contemporary popular styles and modern jazz merge within a recognizably classical form. Yet Zimmerli's eclecticism is quite thorough and frank, with none of the one-shot cuteness of the parodist or the naïveté of the amateur. He clearly enjoys working in several idioms -- most notably as a jazz performer -- and he has internalized several musical languages well, so it is difficult to isolate any particular influence in his melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. That said, Zimmerli's hybrid music is an acquired taste, perhaps too pop-oriented for conservative listeners, and too tamely tonal and neo-Romantically colored for the adventurous. The fusion of styles may appeal most to those who have followed Zimmerli's career and casual listeners who like light jazz and crossover music. Violinist Scott Yoo, cellist Michael Mermagen, and pianist John Novacek are competent, fairly cohesive, and sometimes exciting, as they are in... Read Less