On New Jazz Jungle: Remembering, his previous solo album, Pat Thomas only played electronics. Therefore, Nur makes the perfect companion if one wants to get a complete picture of the man's art. This solo piano concert was recorded on December 10, 1999, in Cheltenham, England. Thomas performed four unscripted improvisations, each one shorter than the previous, the first one a glorious 26 minutes while the fourth lasted only eight. Nur is a striking and wonderful piece. Avoiding all free jazz clichés, the piece sounds like a contemporary piano work. Parts of it could have been written by Charles Ives! Thomas' approach is surprisingly tonal here, the piece resting on dynamics, carefully placed chords, and a serene mood. The first minutes share strong similarities with the music of Ernesto Diaz-Infante. On Mubarak, the pianist reverts to more traditional free jazz playing. Relying on speed and groove, this one mainly evokes Cecil Taylor, but also Keith Tippett (Thomas spends the last four minutes on the instrument's lower octave, a technique Tippett uses sometimes -- see Friday the 13th). Variation on Two Themes comes back to more tonal serenity, while The Analogy pays tribute to Thelonious Monk, even though the pianist's style here is more Taylor-esque. Nur: Solo Piano 1999 offers a different look at free improvisation on the piano. Thomas' alloy of tonality and contemporary classical melodrama is more listener-friendly than what one might expect, while retaining the vital immediacy of free playing. Recommended. ~ François Couture, Rovi

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