Thomas Rückert: For All We Know

CHALLENGE RECORDS (RELEASED APRIL 2025)

It’s refreshing to hear a piano trio tackle eight familiar standards in a nonstandard fashion. I would expect nothing less from pianist Thomas Rückert, who has been including his unique interpretation of standards since his first recording in 2002. The difference between that recording and his more recent trio session is that For All We Know is entirely standards performed thoughtfully and lovingly by Rückert, bassist Reza Askari and drummer Fabian Arends. The trio has thoroughly embraced the teachings of Lee Konitz, who they worked with in 2016 — to appreciate the song in improvisation and not just use it as a vehicle to show off great tricks. It’s about improvising around the melody and the lyrics, not the harmony structure you learn in college. More like the Paul Bley Trio than the Oscar Peterson Trio, the Thomas Rückert Trio decomposes, reharmonizes and reframes these classic tunes without losing sight of the melody or lyrics. The title track is given the introspective and melancholic attitude a tune such as “For All We Know” deserves. Rückert’s piano notes linger over the ethereal cushion provided by Askari and Arends. The sympathetic musical caressing of the trio is evident on whatever they play — from Thelonius Monk’s “Blue Monk” to Luiz Bonfa’s “Black Orpheus.” However, they revel when interpreting tunes associated with wonderful lyrics such as “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” “How Deep is the Ocean,” “Stella by Starlight” and “Body and Soul.” The trio gives these melodies time to develop as they contemplate the messages within the lyrics. As such, most pieces are taken at a leisurely tempo except for “Embraceable You,” which is little more upbeat. The Thomas Rückert Trio breathes new life into tunes written almost 100 years ago. They do so with integrity, innovation and inspiration. For me, that’s much more meaningful than fast paces, fleet runs, frantic solos and all those other “great tricks”, and that’s what makes For All We Know so refreshing!

BOTTOM LINE: If you are tired of the same old tunes played the same old ways, how about the same old tunes played in refreshingly new ways. On For All We Know, the Thomas Rückert Trio interprets eight familiar standards with integrity, innovation and inspiration. In the tradition of Lee Konitz (with a strong dose of Paul Bley), the trio gives us a deeper appreciation for these melodies and their lyrics.