One of the advantages of the vibraphone is that it’s caught somewhere between a chordal instrument and a single line ax, which both forces the player to concentrate on the melody and leaves plenty of open space in the arrangements. An expert on his instrument’s possibilities, vibraphonist Simon Moullier takes full advantage of its range on his fourth album Inception. Accompanied by bassist Luca Alemanno and drummer Jongkuk Kim, Moullier assembles a stellar collection of compositions from classic jazz icons, from Horace Silver and McCoy Tyner to Wayne Shorter and Charles Mingus. Moullier leans into the bluesy side of the jazz experience, swinging hard on earthy tunes like Mingus’ “Peggy’s Blue Skylight” and Billy Strayhorn’s classic “Lush Life.” The Trio shines brightest on a dexterous take on Shorter’s “Lost,” weaving lush textures and frank swing into a bravura performance. After loving nods to the masters, Moullier ends Inception with “RC,” a speed-demon original tune that shows off how much he’s learned from the giants, and how high he himself will grow.
