German pianist Klaus Koenig has had an interesting career, to say the least. His Jazz Live Trio began life in the 1960s, when he was tasked by the Swiss radio station SRF with accompanying guest soloists on broadcasts. (These included Art Farmer, Dexter Gordon et al. In the 1970s he was a member of Magog, a post-May 1968 group which made music on the basis of the complete equality of all players: no leader, ‘rhythm’ instruments no longer in subordinate, ‘accompanying’ roles. Then, in 1998, Koenig developed dystonia in both hands. Now he's back at his keyboard, making work, among others, with new collaborators in his Jazz Live Trio. As Koenig says in the accompanying notes to Night Thoughts: “After my long excursions into the semi-free to free music during the 1970s and 1980s… I have come to like the earlier regular distribution of roles again.” So, on cuts such as ‘Little Thing’, bassist Patrick Sommer and drummer Andi Wettstein provide the sort of rolling, swinging support that allows Koenig to stretch out on traditional lead breaks. The results suggest tradition isn't necessarily such a bad thing! Koenig indulges his freer, more avant-gardist instincts on the almost 13-minute solo closer, ‘Gog's Dreams’, a “nocturnal piece for piano, percussion and scissors”.