New Releases : In Brief

** 1/2 Horace Tapscott, “The Dark Tree 1 & 2,” Hat Hut . The problem with this pair of live recordings is that the Los Angeles pianist’s all-star supporting cast--the late clarinetist John Carter, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Andrew Cyrille--is just that , a backup band and not a group that’s had the chance to live with Tapscott’s music. Consequently, the playing behind the leader’s cascading torrents is too stiff and formal.