PICCOLISSIMO
Mother Fool's Coffee House
Friday, January 24

Formed in Spring of 2002, Piccolissimo essentially consists of the Kurt Lang Trio backing piccolo player Tom Ryan.  (I wasn't quite sure what to expect as the notion of a piccolo in a jazz setting, and their poster, are what drew me in.)

All in all, it was quite an entertaining evening with some great improvisation.  It went down extremely well with mocha!

Kurt Lang looks so laid back on the ivories but he can really cook it up.  His excursions on such tunes as the Christmas classic "Joy to the World" and "Hey Jude" were really impressive and downright fun.

The rhythm section was tight and I really enjoyed the drumming of John Lombardo.  He's got a great feel and plenty of swing.  The whole band played off each other well and with respect.

But what is really amazing is how many notes can come out of Ryan's piccolo.  This instrument gets written off as a marching band accessory and I've never heard it in such a setting.  He's truly talented with it and, although the higher notes can be piercing, it was quite enjoyable to hear.  He's also got a good sense of humor, singing through a megaphone and ad libbing on the "I Dream of Jeannie" theme which he credited to "some schmuck from the 60's".  Also notable was the original composition and set-opener "Piccolo Madness" [actually "Piccolo Insanity" - TR] and the aforementioned "Joy..." which they jazzed up quite nicely.

Off the beaten path and not your typical lounge style of jazz, I recommend taking them in when you're in the mood for some finely crafted, swinging music that doesn't take itself too seriously.