Invigorating scarcely scratches the surface when painting a picture of On Time, one of the most scintillatingly synergetic scores by the Sorin Zlat Trio. The Romanian composer and pianist Sorin Zlat, a Yamaha Jazz Artist and university professor at the National University of Music Bucharest, plays like an alchemist when his fingers strike across a set of keys; it is as though a flood of energy pours through his dexterity and rhythmic mastery until the whole trio catches fire around him.
The piece moves with the kind of snap, swing and bright-eyed urgency that makes contemporary jazz feel as alive as it was in its golden era. Zlat’s phrasing darts, climbs and pivots with exhilarating fluency, while the band responds in off-the-cuff electricity, turning the performance into a live-wire exchange rather than a neatly contained composition. The percussionist knows exactly how to tease the next burst of maverick-esque momentum, pushing the track forward with playful pressure, syncopated detail and enough rhythmic mischief to keep the floor shifting under your feet.
Zlat’s reputation explains the authority behind the performance. Across more than 30 national and international awards, including major prizes at Montreux, Monaco and Jacksonville, he has built a career that stretches across Europe, the USA and Asia, from Ronnie Scott’s to Birdland and Smalls.
The piece speaks fluently to the Chick Corea school of nimble invention, the muscular piano-trio excitement of Hiromi and the youthful fire associated with Joey Alexander. On Time is jazz in full motion: articulate, exuberant and impossible to keep at arm’s length.
Watch the live performance of On Time on YouTube now.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
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