OM Trio

A West Coast-based organ trio in the groove spirit of Medeski, Martin, & Wood, Om Trio brings lighter-hearted trappings to the form while still retaining the balance between a deep cerebral sensibility and a danceable beat. The group's two-disc set captures the unit in a variety of settings, including the darkly inventive (and almost accidental) nine-part "Tucson Is Burning" pieces, which were recorded to an empty house the night Tucson was defeated by Duke and spread across the discs. The suite lends the discs a remarkably unified narrative, especially for a live album. The band is less successful when they delve into electronica (such as on "German Dances"), coming off sounding thin and superficially ironic (especially Brian Felix's keyboards). Mostly, though, the music holds together. The discs are paced well (though they are perhaps overwhelming), slipping from mood to mood creatively and interestingly. It is only when they try to break out of the keys/bass/drum sound that they begin to run into trouble. A well-recorded document. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide