Andalucia (1997)

Give 29-year-old pianist Kevin Hays credit for not limiting himself to sidemen of his own age and opting to work with drummer Jack DeJohnette, 54, and bassist Ron Carter, 60, two of jazz's finest. The result is Andalucia, an unusually well- balanced trio date; Carter and DeJohnette's prodding brings out the best in Hays. But why pick a melody as lyrical as Ernesto Lecuona's ''Andalucia'' and let so little of it survive the improvisatory process? B+