Dream Archives

The trio-debut of pianist, composer and 2025 MacArthur Fellow, Craig Taborn with Tomeka Reid and Ches Smith has been eagerly awaited. Their approach to Dream Archives is cerebral, yet as the title suggests, a wide musical spectrum is covered as multitudes of idioms seem to be pulled from history and reconfigured to form a previously unheard sound world full of reveries. Dancing grooves and powerful lyrical accounts also arise in otherwise densely orchestrated trio interchanges. Sometimes Craig wears his influences on his sleeve, and with the trio’s passes at Paul Motian’s “Mumbo Jumbo” and Geri Allen’s “When Kabuya Dances” two of his most important ones are paid homage to in masterful fashion. Tomeka on cello juggles with melodic lead on the one hand and a pizzicato bass bedrock on the other, coalescing – with tension – with Ches Smith’s versatile sound array and Craig’s comprehensive grasp of the keyboard.