The Endless Mysteries

A one-off effort recorded in an afternoon, The Endless Mysteries features the first meeting of pianist George Colligan, bassist Larry Grenadier, and the mighty drummer Jack DeJohnette. Though this is Colligan’s 24th album, the leader has the lowest profile here—yet he’s certainly not outclassed on this set of 10 original tunes. Tearing away on “Her Majesty,” the title track, and elsewhere, Colligan puts a fresh spin on the bop lexicon much as colleagues like Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch, and Bill Charlap have. He also reaches into some unusual places of his own, playing a folksy melodica on “Liam’s Lament”—which also opens with one of several excellent solos on the album from Grenadier. DeJohnette is a forceful presence throughout without chewing the scenery, even on the towering “When the Moon Is in the Sky.” While “Thoughts of Ana” is a quietly contemplative solo piece by Colligan, the three crank it up to the highest notch for the following tune, the discordant “Outrage.” This should all go a long way toward rightfully raising Colligan’s profile.