Noir is one of Canadian pianist Paul Plimley's best trio sessions. It was recorded in a Montreal studio over two days in October 1992. Longtime partner Lisle Ellis is on bass, more recent encounter Gregg Bendian on drums, and saxophonist Bruce Freedman guests on two tracks. All but Freedman contributed pieces, but the overall mood is marvelously homogeneous and best described by the title -- these are the dark corners of free jazz. The set opens with Noir, a lightly sketched theme with jazzy overtones which feels like a triple soliloquy addressed to the moon (the theme comes back in Noir Encore, a second take rendering the working canvas of the piece more explicit). Open Apertures is more thoroughly written and features Freedman. Its theme could almost have been lifted from Thelonious Monk's songbook. Ellis' Fade to Gray and Fade to Gray Then Blue are also very jazz-oriented -- on the former Bendian alternates between his drum kit and the vibraphone. And then, there are those three pieces by Bendian. Jill Cyborg is a conventional (but very well-executed) free jazz tune in the form of a main theme/let's break apart/let's get back together. Paradoxically, Sleeves of Alloy is a piano/bass duet written by a drummer -- and it's a lot closer to Xenakis than Monk. Ellis keeps shifting elegantly from his bow to his fingers. To David Cronenberg: Interzonia brings in some Edgar Varèse and a very dark atmosphere nourished by loud dramatic chords and disquieting suspensions. There is nothing left of free jazz here: This track is the most tightly written of the set, and is one of Bendian's strongest compositions. Strongly recommended. ~ François Couture, Rovi

1		Noir
2		Jill Cyborg
3		to David Cronenberg Interzonia
4		Sleeves of Alloy
5		Open Apertures
6		Noir Encore
7		Fade to Grey
8		Fade to Grey then Blue