As It Was

4 CD BOX. The newest addition to ECM's popular Old and New Masters Series is a box set reprising the four albums made by Peter Erskine's American-British-Swedish trio with John Taylor and Palle Danielsson between 1992 and 1997: You Never Know, As It Is, Time Being and Juni. If its core concept - a piano trio led by a drummer - was unorthodox, the group was nonetheless influential, and the recordings provide an excellent environment for appreciating the distinctive writing and playing of the late John Taylor. The British pianist was the Erskine Trio's primary composer, with the drummer-leader and bassist Danielsson also contributing pieces and the repertoire topped up with tunes by Vince Mendoza and Kenny Wheeler as well as Cole Porter, Peter Warlock, William Walton and others.