French/American trio Reverso has a special purpose in life: to pay tribute to the great French composers using only their sparse instrumentation, with Ryan Kerbele on trombone, Frank Woeste on piano, and Vincent Courtois on cello. But the band doesn’t perform the compositions of folks like Maurice Ravel. Instead they write their own music, inspired by their heroes – finding the spirit of the music and filtering it through their own interpretation. For Between Two Silences, the threesome takes on Erik Satie, one of the most influential classical composers from France. While the songsmith is known for his solo piano works, Reverso (obviously) chooses to flesh that aesthetic out, keeping quiet, gorgeous melodies as a foundation on which to add ornamentation. Listen to the way each musician passes the tune of Keberle’s “Origins of the Unseen” around, stating the melody with subtle embellishments and allowing his compadres to solo. Woeste’s “Valse des chapeaux sans têtes” follows a similar tack, only in waltz time and with an arrangement that would work for a string quartet. The pianist’s “Danse des horloges sans aiguilles” adds a stately, almost jaunty rhythm, reframing Satie’s introspection as gently swinging joy. Sitting not so much between jazz and classical musics as alongside them, Between Two Silences gives us a distinctive sonic experience.
