'Live at the Pizza Express' features virtuoso vibraphonist Jim Hart and his Cloudmakers Trio with special guest world-renowned trumpeter Ralph Alessi. With highly original compositions by Hart, Alessi and "Bye-Ya" by Thelonious Monk, the album claims a ground between New York's downtown sound and the modern European tradition with all the brightness and timbre of a live recording in intimate surroundings.
Consisting of Jim Hart on vibraphone, Michael Janisch on double bass and Dave Smith on drums, the Cloudmakers Trio serves as the focus of Hart's new compositions and arrangements. The three musicians' collective experience is extensive. Everyone from Wynton Marsallis to Evan Parker to Sir John Dankworth to Outhouse Ruhabi to Lee Konitz have hired these popular musicians for their virtuosity and unbridled creativity, securing their reputations as guiding lights amongst musicians of their generation.
The Cloudmakers Trio was officially formed in July 2010 and they embarked on a critically acclaimed inaugural tour around the UK which included Ralph Alessi on trumpet, during which they made this live recording.
Personnel: Jim Hart (vibraphone), Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Michael Janisch (double bass), David Smith (drums)
