I’ve been a fan of Craig Taborn ever since his debut in Montreal, playing with Steve Coleman’s band. There’s no sign that my admiration for him is waning, as the American pianist delivered one of the best performances of this year’s FIJM on Tuesday. It was June 30, 2026—and that music was from June 30, 2026, both conceptually and sensually.
Craig Taborn’s exploration of harmonic motifs and rhythmic patterns on the keyboard has always been a source of surprise and admiration. He has never presented himself as a master of classical jazz or European music forms; for him, the piano is a tool for creation and exploration, as well as a vehicle for virtuosity. For this is indeed a style tailor-made for him.
The chords are very forceful, sometimes hammered out to the very edge of noise. The phrasing is always based on highly contemporary rhythmic patterns, far beyond simple binary or ternary structures. For the high-flying passages, the right hand can take off at any moment. The beauty of it all is that the rhythmic complexity doesn’t exclude the groove; the audience feels its full energy and reacts spontaneously. There’s no need to overthink it, because the balance between familiar and unfamiliar elements is always maintained—in other words, there are enough melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that everyone knows, which then allows for taking risks.
Taborn is backed by drums and double bass, creating a very powerful three-headed beast. The subtle contribution of the formidable double bassist Thomas Morgan and the playing of the formidable drummer Tim Angulo enhance Craig Taborn’s absolutely unique vision.
So, here it is: my favorite jazz trio in a piano-double bass-drums lineup in 2026.
