A jazz trio is actually nothing more than a pianist, a bassist and a drummer. In the case of Bill Charlap, a jazz trio is much more: a whole world of rhythm, melody, counterpoint, gripping drive and sophisticated elegance. The GRAMMY-winning pianist founded his long-standing trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington back in 1997 and was soon able to establish it as one of the leading ensembles in jazz. Although Bill Charlap and his two comrades-in-arms "only" move in the cosmos of well-known jazz standards and Broadway tunes, even after 27 years and almost 20 albums, their music is still as exciting and refreshing as if you had never heard all these catchy tunes before - especially when you can experience the trio live, as on this energetic recording from New York's Village Vanguard.