Antonio Sanchez: Three Times Three

A longtime member of the Pat Metheny Trio, Antonio Sanchez joins forces with some of jazz’s elite in three separate trios on this two-CD set. With pianist Brad Mehldau and Matt Brewer, Sanchez starts by putting a new rhythmic spin on Miles Davis’ “Nardis” (redubbed “Nar-this”), then offers two new compositions in the gently introspective “Big Dream” and the suite-like “Constellations,” which begins with driving drums and bass and evolves into a surging, interactive burner. The second disc opens with guitarist John Scofield and bassist Christian McBride joining Sanchez on a beguiling reimagining of Wayne Shorter’s “Fall.” They get down on a funky “Nooks and Crannies,” anchored by McBride’s deep bass groove and sparked by Scofield’s nasty chank-a-chank comping and scorching bent-string soloing. The tune morphs into a three-way race midway through with each of the heavyweights delivering blistering solos, then they set– tle into a cool swing vibe on the mellow “Rooney And Vinski.” The drummer’s interactions with tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and bassist John Patitucci range from urgent (“Leviathan”) to romantic (“Firenze”). And they achieve a remarkable group-think on a radical deconstruction of Monk’s “I Mean You” that’s fueled by the drummer’s uncommonly melodic approach to the kit. A sumptuous all-star affair.