Terry Bowness (Aardvark)

Terry Bowness

(Aardvark)

A local pianist/composer who currently works with drummer Ernie Durawa in Los Jazz Vatos, Terry Bowness, with the help of co-producer Mitch Watkins, has delivered as cogent an Austin jazz introduction as any heard in recent years. He's aligned himself with a cadre of fine local guitarists including Watkins, Glen Rexach, Clay Moore, and Monte Mann, plus San Antonio-turned-Bay Area standout Jackie King. The compatibility, interplay, and sonic quality of Bowness' piano/guitar front lines are refreshing to ears that are more often accustomed to the shouts of saxophones and trumpets. Of the nine tunes here, eight are varied Bowness originals. They range from the straight-ahead stylings of "What's For Dinner?" to the slow, gospel strains of "Brother Thad" and the funky fusion of the most adventurous track of the set, "Linear Digression." There's also a delightful arrangement of the Coltrane classic "Naima," complete with a lilting Bob Marley bassline that melds beautifully with the piano's haunting melody. Two pensive solo performances and an intimate duo with Mitch Watkins show the pianist's indebtedness to Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans. This set is quite an impressive debut release, but in the future, Bowness might want to raise the stakes a bit by turning up the heat and taking a few more chances along the way. In the meantime, he's got a lot to be proud of here.