David Reinhardt Trio: Colombe

The David Reinhardt Trio’s Colombe is post-bop bliss. A strong melodic sense and confident tone are forefront on this release from the grandson of Django Reinhardt. As a bandleader, David Reinhardt more than lives up to the family name. His phrasing is familiar, yet fresh, on standout tracks like Michael Franck’s “Here’s That Rainy Day” and Jimmy Van Heusen’s “A Fool’s Errand”. Grooves range from modal fusion to be-bop and funk. David Reinhardt moves effortlessly between single-note and chordal guitar solos, but the real strength of the album lies in its combination of instrumentation.

Reinhardt is flanked by Florent Gac on Hammond B3 organ and Yoann Serra on drums. The trio forgoes the addition of a bass guitar to great effect. The resulting subtlety and warmth is staggering while colors pop with clarity and openness. Florent Gac contributes much of the original material, which may account for the fine balance of the players. David Reinhardt also contributes the opener “Lady” as a tribute to his new bride, and the title track, which is dedicated to his grandmother. The disc ends with the trio’s interpretation of “Love Theme” from the movie Spartacus, reinforcing the strong sense of melody found throughout Colombe. Given their trajectory, the bar will continue to be raised as this group continues to develop and David Reinhardt grows to contribute more of his own original material.