Zodiac Trio-Clarinet, Violin, Piano Perform Contemporary American Music at 222

The internationally performing Zodiac Trio performed a contemporary American program at the 222 in Healdsburg.  Founded in 2006 at the Manhattan School of Music featuring Kliment Krylovskiy on clarinet, Vanessa Mollard on violin and Rico Higuma who did much of the arranging, on piano.  The first composition by Peter Shickele, "Serenade for Three" in three movements.  "Dances" the first movement was an uplifting, lively allegro.  "Songs" the second movement was andante and sombre.   And, "Variations" the third movement picked up into a vivace tempo, but the three movements felt discombobulated.  Stravinsky's "Suite from "L'Histoire du Soldat".  Krylovsky gave a short synopsis prior to each movement for this Faustian, foreboding tale. Andrew List's composition "The Devil's Final Challenge," written for the Zodiac Trio, was also given a narrative by Krylovsky.  In this demonic tale, the hero outwits the devil.  However, part of the violin playing is intentionally off-key as the devil struggles to play and repetitive.  The friendly banter and theatric would have lent themselves to a family friendly program.   I preferred the compositions by Benny Goodman and George Gershwin's "An American in Paris," which was arranged by Riko.   Riko jokingly informed us that Krylovsky and Mollard are married and that she arranges equally melodic melodies for both.  I felt the music highlighted Krylovskiy's clarinet allowing the instrument to shine in its rich vibrato tenor range.  The piano and violin played off the clarinet's sured sounds.   The musicians all possessed a gifted musicality but the best display of their talents came through in Gershwin's and Goodman's compositions which gave a lift to the strength of the clarinet.