The Martin Salemi trio offers us a trip through the history of jazz. His first album “Short Stories” is a collection of stylish compositions that...

The Martin Salemi trio offers us a trip through the history of jazz. His first album “Short Stories” is a collection of stylish compositions that alternate between ballads, swing, asymmetrical grooves and rolling rhythms. A few references can be heard from the first measures of Confidence: pianist Nathalie Loriers and above all Enrico Pieranunzi, due to the light touch and his precious way of combining jazz and classical music into something as light and velvety as a summer breeze. But then, right in the middle of the tune, the pianist suddenly heads in another direction, picking up the tempo and welcoming in the fun of swing, running off long suites of improvised notes with the ease of a Keith Jarrett before finally coming, like magic, back to the nonchalance of the opening theme. The rest of the repertoire proves one thing- Martin Salemi is not a man of one style. From Lenni Tristano, whose singularity and exceptional agility are evoked on “Lennie’s Pennies” to the rolling rhythms of “Regina” whose percussive chord-based introduction could be a nod to the bluesy exoticism of the great Horace Silver, we travel easily through he history of jazz.