Joe Stoddart writes about the Marc Perrenoud Trio, making a rare appearance in London – at Ronnie Scott’s Late Late Show –  Tuesday June 3rd. Joe writes: 

Tuesday 3rd June sees the Marc Perrenoud Trio take charge of The Late Show at Ronnie Scott’s, starting at 11pm, and then welcoming sitters-in up to 3am. The trio is led by 1981-born Swiss pianist Perrenoud and made up of bassist Marco Müller and – for this occasion – drummer and Ronnie’s regular Pedro Segundo (interviewed by LondonJazz News last week). They will be playing material from Perrenoud’s latest album Vestry Lamento, released last year on Challenge Int. Records/Double Moon. The video above is a live performance of the album’s title track.

Vestry Lamento is Perrenoud’s third trio album with Müller on bass and fellow Swiss Cyril Regamy on drums. Described as ‘a band of unmatched power, technique and taste’ by Downbeat magazine, they were winners of the ZKB Jazz contest 2010 in Geneva and are known for their hard swinging, high octane performances.

Although Art Tatum, Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson are mentioned among his influences, there is a strong hint of Brad Mehldau, aided by Müller’s Larry Grenadier inspired lines. As French critic Jean-Claude Pennec wrote for Citizen Jazz in 2012 (source): ‘Marc Perrenoud is never more interesting than when he lightens the textures, lets himself be won over by a kind of twilight coolness.’