(Post-Bop) Robert Lakatos Trio - So in Love - 2005, MP3, 320 kbps

When Atelier Sawano released this debut album of Budapest-born pianist Robert Lakatos in 2005, Japanese jazz fans were taken by surprise and went crazy over this virtually unknown musician. Apparently, he is classically trained and heavily influenced by Keith Jarrett. His horizontal lines of improvisation is very melodious and he has an overall aura of melancholy often found in modern European musicians. But what I like most about him is that, in addition to all this, he can really swing and burn with intensity.
Also note that his performances are mostly 3 to 5 minutes long. He doesn't linger or "milk" the performance. He doesn't fool around. He says what he wants to say in a very straight-forward, concise manner. But oh, what he does say is so interesting and powerful that you don't even realize that they are "short" by today's standards.
The CD opens with a superb rendition of "So in Love" that makes you realize how strong this song is in terms of melody and emotional intensity. In addition to well known standards, Lakatos throws in a classically-inspired original "Allemande" a hauntingly beautiful "Zingaro" (Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Portrait in Black and White"), and refreshingly soulful eight beat number "Le coucher du soleil (Sunset)" as well as a Hungarian traditional "Indulj El Egy Uton."
Typical of Sawano's release, the sound quality is superb. Compared to the same trio's second album Never Let Me Go (AS-066), this album is definitely more extroverted, with more tunes with faster tempos and driving swing. This is a very, very strong album. Highly recommended!