Best in jazz: Lots of local musicians on our list

“BRIGHT IDEA” by GREG MURPHY TRIO (Whaling City Sound) It’s been a good year for dynamic piano trios, none more so than Murphy’s, which includes bassist Eric Wheeler, and Wynton Marsalis cohort Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts on drums. Murphy is a Chicago native whose jazz journey took him, over four decades, from his home to New Orleans, then New York City, where addiction overcame him, and then back to Chicago to clean up, and finally back to the Big Apple. He had a lengthy association with legendary drummer Rashied Ali, and then also bassist Reggie Workman, which accounts for his solid background in the music associated with John Coltrane. So many jazz players are technically advanced and conceptually daring, but just not appealing to a listener. But Murphy is a sterling example of avoiding that pitfall, for no matter how dazzling his technique or far afield his themes go, they are always tuneful and accessible. The rapid sprint through “Softly As in a Morning Sunrise” is a bop showcase, with a hot drum solo in its midst. Murphy includes a handful of pop covers here, proving he doesn’t take himself too seriously, and the electric piano-centered take on Pharell Williams’ huge hit “Happy” is funky but enhanced from the original. The title cut “Bright Idea” kind of careens out of the gate, but despite the breakneck pace, Murphy’s articulation is flawless, as he crafts a thickly textured theme evocative of McCoy Tyner. The intriguing midtempo number “Well, Of All Things,” could be a movie all by itself, with so many things going on melodically. And a recently discovered Coltrane piece, “Untitled Original 11383,” begins as a 12-bar blues before going off into all sorts of tangents, but Murphy deftly keeps it on track and driving forward throughout.