Count Benedikt Jahnel among the ever-growing bevy of young jazz pianists taking the trio format to new heights on ECM. Marshaling the intuition of bassist Antonio Miguel and Owen Howard, he forges a path of mature balance and control. His muted playing in “Gently Understood” evokes the modular approach of Nik Bärtsch, while titles like “Sacred Silence” hint at an aesthetic very much at home on the German label. Spanning the gamut of rubato interludes and epic flights of fancy, the trio arms itself to the teeth with class in favor of a collective sound over solo showcases.