Brad Mehldau Live at The Village

Ola turma do Jazz,

Estou na fase de avaliações dos novos CD's, tão logo acabe de ouvi-los, irei posta-los.
No momento este otimo artigo sobre o Brad Mehldau, ao vivo.



Brad Mehldau at the Village Vanguard Brad Mehldau - Published: May 15, 2009
By Eric Benson
Discuss Brad Mehldau Trio Village Vanguard New York, NY May 5 & 9, 2009
No major jazz artist of the last 25 years has been more closely associated with a single venue than pianist Brad Mehldau with the Village Vanguard. Of the 11 trio albums he's released since signing with Warner Bros in 1994, four have been recorded live at jazz's most hallowed club. Pianist Bill Evans—who had a similarly synergistic relationship with the Vanguard (Mehldau once wrote that the comparison to Evans "has been a thorn in my side.")—used to play there six weeks a year; Mehldau restricts himself to just one. Last week, the Brad Mehldau Trio made its annual visit back home.

Mehldau's long-term penchant for recording at the Vanguard means that we have an easy-to-compare chronicle of his evolution as a musician. In 1997, when Mehldau recorded Live at the Village Vanguard (his first Vanguard album), he was a superhero improviser fond of showing off the brilliance of his new-found powers. His introduction to "Young and Foolish" is so wrenchingly lyrical that it could have been a complete, emotionally exhausting song on its own. His explosive, virtuoso solo on "Monk's Dream" sounds like the work of two ambidextrous pianists, with Mehldau creating so much tension that, when the solo ends, the audience cheers and roars like it's just seen Superman save the day. Pianist Ethan Iverson summed it up well for the writer Nate Chinen: "hearing those guys play, say, 'The Way You Look Tonight' in '97—that was really a thrilling moment for jazz."
Mehldau's follow-up at the Vanguard, Back at the Vanguard, recorded in 1999, showcases the same kind of bountiful outpouring. In the solo introduction to "All The Things You Are," he slowly builds the melody from a series of jagged, short phrases—a sorcerer conjuring a new creature into being. After each improvised chorus, on standards like "Solar" and "I'll Be Seeing You," you think he must be nearing fatigue, but he keeps going, the tension keeps building, and by the time he reaches a resolution, both audience and performer are dripping with figurative (if not literal) sweat.
Mehldau's first two Vanguard albums are such impressive displays of artistic sophistication and pianist prowess that it's hard to imagine how he could have upped the ante on them. Whether or not Mehldau himself could have imagined it, we'll never know; instead of striving for ever bigger, faster, and stronger improvisations, he opted to focus increasingly on dynamics, compositional structure, and group interplay. Mehldau's maturation as an artist has meant that I've often left his performances slightly disappointed. Why, I've wondered, isn't he delivering the goods like he did on the first two Vanguard albums? Why does he pull up short on his improvisations before we can see Superman flex all of his muscles?
The writer David Foster Wallace once wrote that he worried that his work had been driven by a "basically vapid urge to be avant-garde and post structural and linguistically calisthenic." I've never spoken to Mehldau, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had similar (if somewhat less self-critical) feelings when looking back on his salad days. It's not as if Mehldau has suddenly become a minimalist, but there's been a shift in his focus to subtler, less flashy aspects of the music.
“The arc of Mehldau's performances are more narrative now, even if that narrative rarely climaxes in the big finish that was once his signature.”
Despite having seen Mehldau play on about a dozen occasions since 2001, I've spent orders of magnitude more time listening to his records. Actually witnessing the man in the flesh can be jarring. His playing sounds athletic—notes flying this way and that; hands crossing, uncrossing; choruses passing like rounds for an inexhaustible prize fighter—but it looks practically sedentary. His head hangs slightly, his hands move slowly, and his rapid-fire fingers lift just enough to clear the keyboard. In other words, Mehldau has impeccable technique, expending effort only on what directly affects the production of sound. His shoulders are the only part of his body that communicates the tense build-up of his playing. They're often raised at the outset, they get increasingly tight in the fury of improvisation, and loosen in the cathartic finale.
Even more jarring than Mehldau's economy of motion is how quiet his playing sounds compared to what we hear on the early records. This, I suspect, has as much to do with sound engineering as with any pianistic evolution, but it's hard to ignore the fact that live the the trio's balance is much more egalitarian. Instead of the great soloist zooming up and away from his band mates as the Warner Bros. recordings would have you believe, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard (who replaced Jorge Rossy in 2005) are integral to the pianist's propulsion.
The first three songs on Tuesday—the unrecorded Mehldau originals "Dream Sketch," "Twiggie," and "B Blues"—showcased the trio's rapport with Ballard palming the floor tom, Grenadier plucking a high staccato on the bass, and Mehldau making quick stabs instead of baroque flurries. When Mehldau finally took a long solo, on "B Blues," Grenadier fell into a walk and Ballard started to swing, but they remained strong and flexible partners, not docile accompanists. On "Samba e Amor," Mehldau dominated but never rose above the group, the music a slow burn that flickered with intensity but never quite burst into flame. The final number, Kurt Weill and Ira Gerswhin's "My Ship," began as a tender ballad before switching gears and ending in a collective rattle.

On Saturday night, Mehldau went farther and deeper into the music. With the late night crowd bringing a palpable excitement that was absent from the Tuesday performance, the Mehldau trio played an 80 minute set—very long for the Vanguard—punctuated by a sprawling version of "I Fall In Love Too Easily" that broke for an unaccompanied Mehldau interlude. Mehldau's solo piano approach has undergone a more radical transformation than his trio playing. He's replaced the long lines of Elegaic Cycles with an excessive, almost droning, use of repetition, creating hypnotic textures and a sometimes grating sameness. Why, I've asked myself (especially after listening to the disappointing Live in Tokyo), does such a loquacious pianist resort to what can sound like a musical stammer? Luckily on "I Fall In Love Too Easily," Mehldau's repetitions didn't have long enough to annoy, unfolding instead like a rubato daydream amid the more hard driving work of the trio's waking life.
I doubt I'll ever like anything Mehldau does quite as much as his early Vanguard albums, both because their artistry is so powerful and because they occupy a crucial place in my own jazz life. Hearing Mehldau's solo introduction to "All The Things You Are" convinced me that today's jazz could be every bit as thrilling as the Monk and Miles in which I was immersed at the time. Kind of Blue made me fall in love with jazz; Mehldau's Back at the Vanguard sent me on a quest to the basements of downtown Manhattan, searching for the living music.
As much as I'd love to hear more of the showstopping solo introductions of Mehldau's early years, they would feel indulgent now—the work of a musician with something to prove. The arc of Mehldau's performances have become more narrative, even if that narrative rarely climaxes in the big finish that was once his signature. Instead of intoxicating tension and resolution, Mehldau honors the structure of each composition more faithfully and when he breaks from a song's form, as in his performance of "I Fall In Love Too Easily," he's more likely to add textural elements like the dreamy solo break. Now approaching 40, Mehldau is no longer content to be just a great improviser, more than ever before he seems to be thinking with a master composer's complexity and patience.
Photo Credits Courtesy of International Music Network
Discuss

1 Sem 2009 - Part One

Roger Kellaway
Live at the Jazz Standard

by Andrew Velez
Pianist Roger Kellaway can swing hard and has played with everyone from Sonny Rollins to Joni Mitchell. His knowledge of music is encyclopedic and his pianism is instantly recognizable for its airy, sparkling quality, flowing from a singular skill he has to incorporate stride, swing, boogie and more into something totally modern. Long an in-demand sideman, Kellaway has too rarely recorded fronting his own group. Which brings us to the happy occasion of this live 2006 Jazz Standard set with his "East Coast group" (he also maintains a "West Coast group").
The opener here is Duke Ellington's "Cottontail," on which Kellaway exhibits finger-twisting runs in company with Stefon Harris guesting on vibes. It's a breathtaking turn that leads into yet more Ellington joy with "C Jam Blues" on which Russell Malone's guitar propels even more non-stop swinging.
If further evidence was needed of Kellaway's diversity, the Russian classical cellist Borislav Strulev joins the festivities for the leader's "All My Life." The chamber-style duet is as deep and passionate as it is resonant. Kellaway's approach to Dave Brubeck's hit, Paul Desmond's "Take Five" begins lightly and gently skipping; he seamlessly shifts from soft to emphatic chords and, with Jay Leonhart's bass and Malone's guitar, builds to a bedazzling crescendo of fresh possibilities. This is followed by a sweet meditation on "The Nearness of You" joined by Malone and Harris.
Pushing musical explorations even further, the second disc opens with "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." "Tumbling Tumbleweeds"? Who knew? It's just further proof of Kellaway's ability to unearth fresh rhythms and find unlikely places in which to swing. Turning to the more familiar jazz terrain of Redman-Gilbert's "Cherry," Kellaway recalls the hard swinging sound of the early Nat "King" Cole Trio. On the closer, Monk's "52nd Street Theme," all hands cut loose to go way past the speed limit. When they called this a "live set" they weren't kidding.


Renato Sellani
A Sergio Endrigo (Nelle mie notti) - philology W 360.2



Tracks:
1. Nelle Mie Notti
2. Ci Vuole Un Fiore
3. Adesso Si
4. Canzone Per Te
5. Teresa
6. Nelle Mie Notti (Take 2)
7. Via Broletto
8. Lontano Dagli Occhi
9. Io Che Amo Solo Te
10. Vecchia Balera
11. Samba Para Endrigo
12. Io Che Amo Solo Te (Take 2)

Kenny Barron
The Traveler - SSC 3079



by Ken Dryden
These 2007 sessions by Kenny Barron are a bit unusual, as he works with several different groups, playing mostly originals. His trio with bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Francisco Mela are present on eight of the CD's ten tracks, including one trio feature, the light-hearted "The First Year," penned by Alex Nguyen. The masterful soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson is added on three numbers, including the intricate post-bop vehicle "The Traveler," the driving "Speed Trap," and the lovely impressionistic ballad "Illusion." African guitarist Lionel Loueke is Barron's sole partner for the avant-gardish "Duet," while also adding flavor to Barron's engaging "Calypso." There are several vocal features. "Phantoms" begins with a distinctively African flavor, with Loueke adding an uncredited vocal and simulating an African thumb piano on his guitar; then Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition winner Gretchen Parlato takes over, adding her haunting vocals. Veteran drummer Grady Tate has occasionally sung during his career and he adds warmth to Barron's ballad "Um Beijo." Ann Hampton Callaway is more of a cabaret singer, though she proves effective in Barron's dreamy ballad "Clouds." The pianist has Eubie Blake's "Memories of You" all to himself, sounding as if he is playing for his own enjoyment at home in a humorous arrangement that would have likely pleased its composer.


Harvey S with Kenny Barron
Now Was The Time - SCD 2092



by Ken Dryden
Harvie S and Kenny Barron were two of many jazz musicians who worked together in duo settings when Manhattan jazz clubs were unable to get cabaret licenses (which allowed them to book larger groups) back in the 1980s. This winter 1986 studio session, which was halted prematurely due to the pending arrival of a blizzard, lay forgotten for over two decades among many tapes in the bassist's collection until he ran across it and had it issued by Savant in the summer of 2008. The session took place without rehearsal, while the musicians are improvising from the start of each tune, rather than state the melody first. Harvie plays the lead in the whispering take of "Body and Soul," with Barron's soft, lush playing providing the perfect backdrop, while the bassist is also up front in the lighthearted take of "Isn't It Romantic?" Barron shines in the shimmering interpretation of Wayne Shorter's "Miyako." The bassist's "Take Your Time" is a hip, bluesy post-bop vehicle in a breezy setting. The final selection is an mesmerizing unaccompanied bass solo of "Chelsea Bridge," in which Harvie manages to explore at length without running out of ideas. Perhaps he should look closer at his tape collection to see what additional hidden gems need to be issued in the future.


Irio de Paula convida Gianni Basso
O Amor em Paz - Philology W341.2



Track Listings:
1. Meditaçao
2. Desfinado
3. O Grande Amor
4. O Amor Em Paz
5. Insensatez
6. Samba de uma Nota
7. Triste
8. Chega de Saudade
9. Garota de Ipanema
10. Corcovado
11. So Danço Samba

Bill Cunliffe
The Blues and The Abstract Truth Take 2 - HCD2003



by Ken Dryden
Bill Cunliffe was invited to do an updated arrangement of Oliver Nelson's landmark album Blues and the Abstract Truth, a tough challenge, given Nelson's superb charts and the numerous all-stars he had on the 1961 session (pianist Bill Evans, alto saxophonist/flautist Eric Dolphy, and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard in the front line). But the pianist tweaked each of the pieces just a bit, altered some of the instrumentation (a trombone replaces baritone sax, while soprano sax is added on some tracks), while also making subtle rhythmic changes at times. "Stolen Moments" has long since become a jazz standard and it is tough to measure up to Nelson's second version (he scored an earlier one for a big band led by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis), since Dolphy (on flute), Evans and Nelson laid down such superb solos. But Andy Martin's vocal-like trombone is a highlight, even if Cunliffe doesn't try to compete with Evans' work. Trumpeter Terell Stafford and Andy Martin burn in the playful "Hoe Down," while tenor saxophonist Bob Sheppard wails in "Yearnin'." The closing two songs are originals by Cunliffe that are in the spirit of Nelson (who died at age 43 of a heart attack in 1975). Tribute albums are always difficult, as they aren't intended to replace the recordings they honor, but Bill Cunliffe has easily achieved his goal on this rewarding CD.

Resultado Final Jazz 2008

Segue abaixo resultado das listas de "melhor do jazz 2008", montage feita pelo maior ouvinte de Jazz, Claudio Botelho:

Dessa forma, feitas as contas, cheguei no seguinte:
1- Antonio Faraò – Woman´s Perfume: 4 votos.

2- Michel Wolff – Jazz, Jazz, Jazz; Ricardo Arrighini –Garota de Ipanema; Robert Lakatos – Never Let Me Go; Stefano Bollani – Carioca; Roma trio – Ciao, Ciao Bambina; Trio Sud – Young and Fine; Alboran Trio – Near Gale e Fausto Ferraiolo Trio – Changing Walking: 3 votos.

3- Martin Bejerano – Evolution/Revolution; Jessica Williams – Songs for a New Century; Patricia Barber – The Cole Porter Mix; Ricardo Arrighini – Luciana; Karel Boehle – Last Tango in Paris; Marcin Wasilewski Trio – January e Francesco Cafiso - Portrait in Black and White: 2 votos.

4- Chris Wabish – Jade Vision; Paula Schocron –Urbes; Ernesto Jodos – Ernesto Jodos Trio; Alan Broadbent – Moment’s Notice; Taylor Eigsti – Let it Come to You; Robert Jan Vermueulen – En Blanc et Noir; John Beasley – Letter to Herbie; Roma Trio – Love is a Many Splendored Thing; Vladimir Shafranov – Portrait in Music; Paul Bollenback – Invocation; Maria Pio de Vito – Jazz Italiano 2007; Dena Derose – Live at jazz Standards Vol. 1; Andy Bey – Ain´t Necessarily So; Alboran Trio – Meltemi; Ed Lincoln – Doucemant Novamente; R. Menescal – Os Bossa Nova; Leandro Braga – A Música de Dona Ivone de lara; Alda Montellanico & Enrico Pierannunzi – Danza de Uma Ninfa; Judy Wexler – Easy on the Heart; Riccardo Arrighini – Black on White; Oliver Antunes – Alice in Wonderland; Ted Nash – The Mancini Project; Dan Nimmer – Yours in My Heart Alone; Jane Duboc – Canção de Espera; Dena Derose – Live at jazz Standards vol. 2; Jon Mayer – So Many Stars; Franco D’Andrea – Creole Rhapsody; Brad Mehldau – Live; Ares Tavolazzi - Godot and Altre Storie di Teatro; Anat Cohen – Notes from the Village; Ada Montellanico – Il Sole di un Attimo; Grant Stewart – Young at Heart; Tönu Naisso – You Stepped out of a Dream; The Romantic Jazz Trio – Magical Mystery – Tribute to Monk; Riccardo Fioravanti Trio – The Bill Evans Project; John Taylor- Whirlpool; Norma Winstone – Distances; Peter Delano – For Dewey; Kenny Wheeler – Other People; Armen Donelian – Oasis e Joel Weiskopf – Devoted to You: 1 voto.

Freddie Hubbard ( 1938 - 2008 )

By G1
Trompetista tocou com John Coltrane e Ornette Coleman.Hubbard iniciou a carreira em 1958 e influenciou uma geração de jazzistas.
O trompetista norte-americano Freddie Hubbard.
Freddie Hubbard, o jazzista norte-americano ganhador do Grammy cujo estilo influenciou toda uma geração de trompetistas e que colaborou com artistas como Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane e Sonny Rollins, morreu nesta segunda-feira (29), um mês após sofrer um ataque cardíaco. Ele tinha 70 anos de idade. Segundo seu empresário, o também trompetista David Weiss, do New Jazz Composers Octet, Hubbard morreu no Sherman Oaks Hospital. Ele havia sido hospitalizado após um ataque cardíaco no dia 26 de novembro Figura importante nos círculos de jazz, Hubbard tocou em centenas de discos, numa carreira que começou em 1958, ano em que chegou em Nova York, vindo de sua cidade natal Indianápolis, onde ele estudou no Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music e com a Sinfônica de Indianápolis. Logo ele começou a andar com lendas do jazz como Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley e Coltrane. “Conheci Trane (apelido de John Coltrane) numa jam session na casa de Count Basie, no Harlem, em 1958”, contou Hubbard à revista especializada “Down Beat” em 1995. “Ele disse: ‘Por que você não chega mais e vamos tentar ensaiar um pouco’. Eu quase fiquei louco. Imagine, um garoto de 20 anos de idade tocando com John Coltrane. Ele me ajudou muito, e trabalhamos bastante juntos”.
Influente
Nos seus primeiros trabalhos, que incluem os álbuns “Open Sesame” e “Goin’ up”, lançados pelo selo Blue Note, a influência de Davis e outros no trabalho de Hubbard é obvia, disse Weiss. Bem em um par de anos ele desenvolveria um trabalho único, que influenciaria uma geração de músicos, incluindo Wynton Marsalis. “Ele influenciou todos os trompetistas que vieram depois dele”, disse Marsalis. “Certamente eu ouvi muito do seu trabalho... Todos nós o ouvíamos. Ele tem esse som alto, e um grande senso de ritmo e tempo e a grande marca do seu estilo é uma exuberância. Sua técnica é exuberante”. Hubbard tocou em mais de 300 discos, incluindo seus próprios álbuns e em bandas de apoio de outros artistas. Ele ganhou um Grammy em 1972 como melhor performance de jazz em grupo, pelo disco “First light”.

ENRICO RAVA QUINTET Brasilia 2008

WORLDJAZZ TOP 10 - 2008

Here is the 2008 CD of the Year List

CD DO ANO 2008 - Jessica Williams " Songs for a New Century "

VOCAL 2008 - Dena DeRose " Live at Jazz Standard - Volume One & Volume Two"

HONORABLE MENTION 2008 -
- Alboran Trio " Near Gale "
- Riccardo Arrighini Trio " Garota de Ipanema(Ana Silva) "
- Trio Sud " Young and Fine "
- Jon Mayer " So Many Stars "
- Antonio Faraó " Woman's Perfume"
- Franco D'Andrea Trio "Creole Rhapsody(The Duke Ellington Suites 1931-1974 Chapter 1)"
- Brad Mehldau Trio " Live "
- Ares Tavolazzi " Godot e altre storie di teatro "

SURPRISE 2008 - Riccardo Fioravanti Trio " Bill Evans Project"

HORS CONCOURS 2008 - Eliane Elias " Something For You - Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans "

MINHA PISADA NO TOMATE 2008
- Fred Hersch & Norma Winstone " Songs & Lullabies " from 2003

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2008 - Chico Pinheiro ( Arranjos & Guitar ) & Andre Ceccarelli ( a giant on Drums )

Neal Hefti 1922 - 2008

Neal Hefti, trumpetista de big bands, arranjador e compositor das trilhas do filme “Um estranho casal” e do seriado “Batman” morreu neste sábado (11) aos 85 anos, segundo seu filho Paul Hefti. Um dos feitos mais notáveis de Hefti inclui o tema característico do seriado dos anos 60 estrelando o super-herói Batman, que virou hit nas rádios e rendeu ao autor um Grammy em 1966 na categoria “Melhor tema instrumental”.
Ele também compôs trilhas para filmes como “Um estranho casal”, “Descalços no parque” e “Harlow - A Vênus prateada” - este último trazia sua clássica faixa “Girl talk”. Seu filho disse que o tema de “Batman” foi a composição mais difícil para Neal Hefti, que levou um mês para compôr o baixo e os ataques explosivos de trompete.
"Ele gastou mais partituras de papel nessa coisa do que me qualquer outra música", disse Paul Hefti à Associated Press.
Neal Hefti nasceu em 29 de outubro de 1922, em Hastings, Nebraska, e tocou trompete com bandas locais quando adolescente, para ganhar dinheiro.
Na fase adulta, ele trabalhou e fez arranjos musicais para grandes nomes da era das "big bands", incluindo Countie Basie, Woody Herman, Charlie Spivak e Harry James.
"Ele era um dos grande arranjadores e compositores do seu tempo", disse o radialista e amigo de longa data Gary Owens ao "Los Angeles Times".
Fonte: G1

Joe Beck ( 1945 - 2008 ) & Esbjorn Svensson ( 1964 - 2008 )

Joe Beck ( 1945 - 2008 ) 



By The Sun New York
Joe Beck, a jazz guitarist who collaborated with artists such as Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, and James Brown, died July 22 at a hospital in Woodbury, Conn. He was 62, and had battled lung cancer.
Beck got his start as a teenager in the 1960s playing in a jazz trio in New York. By 1968, he was working with Davis and other top jazz stars.Beck was a prolific studio and session performer, arranger, and producer, with an identifiable harmonic and rhythmic sound. He was honored five times by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences as a Most Valuable Player.
"My career happened because I happened to be in the right place at the right time in a very unique time of jazz music," Beck said in an interview last year with JazzGuitarLife.com.
After taking a three-year break from music to run a dairy farm, Beck went back to music in the 1970s, working with artists such as Gloria Gaynor and Esther Phillips, including on Phillips's hit single "What a Difference a Day Makes."
In 1975, his collaboration with the saxophonist David Sanborn, "Beck and Sanborn," became a cool fusion hit.
Beck went back to farming in 1988, but was recording and touring again by 1992. In 2002, he organized the 72nd birthday celebration for the king of Thailand, who played saxophone with Beck.


Esbjorn Svensson ( 1964 - 2008 )




By All AboutJazz
e.s.t. is a phenomenon: A jazz trio, which sees itself as a pop band that plays jazz, which broke with the tradition of leader and sidemen in favor of equality within its members, which not only plays jazz- venues but also venues usually reserved for rock bands, which uses light effects and fog-machines in their live shows, which gets a whole audience to sing-a-long with jazz-standards as eg. Thelonious Monk's “Bemsha Swing”, is a trio that goes beyond the scope of the usual classic jazz trio. Their music can be found in the pop-charts and their videos are playing on MTV Scandinavia. With their unique soundscape, combining jazz with drum 'n' bass, electronic elements, funk rhythm, and pop and rock as well as European Classical music, e.s.t. won an audience spanning from the classic jazz-fans to the youngest HipHop fans. Critics and audiences world-wide agree: e.s.t. is definitely one of the most innovative jazz bands of today.
Openness, curiosity, and a little bit of chance are all a part of Esbjörn Svensson's artistic foundation: “I play piano because we didn't have any other instrument in the house. Actually, I would have rather played drums. For instance, as a kid, I put together a set out of old odds and ends, and tried to sound like “Sweet” on “Ballroom Blitz”. But then Magnus-ström came with his drums, and I decided to stay with the piano. Magnus and I grew up together, and have played together from the beginning. When Magnus was given his first drum set, he brought it over to my house, and we started playing. We had no idea how to play, but it was a lot of fun. Since we didn't have a teacher, and no one was telling us how to play, we were able to gradually develop our music in a very unique, individualistic way.”
From the mid-eighties on, Svensson and--ström established themselves as inspiring sidemen in the Swedish and Danish jazz scenes. They formed their first trio in 1990, but it wasn't until 1993 that they got the necessary lift to get a CD off the ground. It was then that they met Dan Berglund. Both were fascinated by the structural strength and creative diversity of his playing and were able to entice Berglund into joining the trio.
In 1993 the Esbjörn Svensson Trio recorded and released their debut album, When Everyone Has Gone (Dragon): in 1995, the live recording Mr. & Mrs. Handkerchief (Prophone), which has been released in the rest of the World six years later under the title e.s.t. Live '95.
By the mid nineties the trio had made a name for themselves in Sweden and got a recording-deal with the pop-oriented label Superstudio Gul / Diesel Music. The first album for this label, released the same year, was E.S.T. Plays Monk, which quickly sold over 10.000 copies in Sweden. And the talented newcomers started to collect prizes: in 1995 and 1996 Esbjorn Svensson was awarded Swedish Jazz musician of the Year and 1998 Songwriter of the Year, and the 1997 release “Winter in Venice”--consisting mainly of original material--was awarded the Swedish Grammy.
The 1999 release of From Gagarin's Point of View was the first e.s.t. album to be released outside of Scandinavia through the German label ACT und live appearances at festivals as Jazz Baltica and Montreux marked the beginning of the international break-through of the band.
A year later the CD Good Morning Susie Soho was released and earned the trio the title “Trio of the Year” by Jazzwise, UK. e.s.t. toured on the “Rising Stars” Jazz Circuit and played all major festivals throughout Europe. The same time Sony Columbia USA released the first CDSomewhere Else Before a compilation from the European albums From Gagarin's Point of Viewand Good Morning Susie Soho in the USA.
Strange Place For Snow, e.s.t.'s 2002 release was supported by a 9-month tour through all European countries, but also the USA and Japan. Music from that album also became the soundtrack for the French movie Dans ma Peau directed by the french actress and screen writer (8 Women) Marina de Van. The album earned numerous awards for the band such as the “Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik” (from the German Phonoacademy), the “German Jazz Award”, “Choc de l'annee” (Jazzman, France), the “Victoire du Jazz”--the French Grammy--as best international act and also the “Revelation of the Festival” award, a special award from Midem.
In 2003 the band released Seven Days of Falling. The album immediately after release went into the pop album charts in Germany, France and Sweden (topping at No. 15). Besides in Europe the album was also released in the USA, Japan and South Korea. The band supported K.D. Lang on her tour throughout the USA performing in stadiums and large concert halls to over 50.000 people. More than 100.000 people watched them perform live in the 12 months after the release of Seven Days of Falling. As a result of all of this e.s.t. was awarded the Hans Koller prize as “European Artist of the Year” in December 2004--voted by 23 jazz industry professionals from 23 European countries.
Their latest release so far Viaticum(January 2005) has even surpassed the success of the previous albums. It went into the top 50 pop album charts in Germany and France and topped in Sweden on position 4. The band extensively toured the world to support the album release and appeared in major concert halls and festivals in Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada and the USA. They were awarded a gold and a platinum German Jazz Award, the IAJE award and the Swedish Grammy and were the first European jazz band ever to grace the cover of the Downbeat jazz magazine in the USA (May 2006 issue). Not only in Europe e.s.t. have become a major concert attraction in their own right pulling large crowds all over the continents.
Their new album Tuesday Wonderland (release date: September 22nd 2006) connects directly to Viaticum. The interpretation of Viaticum was that the music is the provisions that you take with you on your journey through life. Tuesday Wonderland (is the spiritual journey itself that opens new worlds and guides you to the Wonderland of e.s.t.'s music. And the journey continues...
In 1995 and 1996 Esbjorn Svensson was selected the jazz musician of the year in Sweden. On June 14th 2008 Esbjorn Svensson, 44 years old, died during a diving accident yesterday outside of Vrmd near Stockholm. He was in a company of divers at a Swedish jetty/landing stage under supervision of a dive-leader when he was found severely injured at the bottom.

uma pena,
Leo

alguns videos do Joe Beck,
tem o DVD do Kenny Rankin, onde ele participa !

1 Sem 2008 - Part 5

Bill Carrothers
After Hours, Volume 4



by Jim Santella
Pianist Bill Carrothers has selected songs you’ve heard time and again out on the town, when the club is getting ready to close and everyone’s left but you and the band. Dedicated to Frank Sinatra, the album contains romantic ballads that would follow heartbreak and reveal hopes of turning one’s love life around. Carrothers has a deeply emotional piano style that stresses harmony by overlapping the tones to create soundscapes. Supported by Billy Peterson, a lyrical bassist who works hand-in-glove with the pianist, and drummer Kenny Horst, a timekeeper with a feel for appropriate textures, Bill Carrothers works his way through one dreamy melody after another. Billy Strayhorn’s "Chelsea Bridge" and "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing" have all three artists pouring out their hearts, finding new and different modes of expression. The bass rumbles, the drum head squeaks, and the piano drifts on, moaning about what’s going on in one man’s heart while others elsewhere may be dancing down the street. Again on "For All We Know," the trio searches out new and different ways to provide a variety of textures. Horst introduces metallic squealing sounds from the cymbal while Peterson spells out the familiar pizzicato melody. All the while, Carrothers is coloring with overlapping tones and lingering thoughts. There are microphones in and around the trio; however, the sound isn’t the best. It does add authenticity, though; makes you feel like you’re there in the club. The material on this album was recorded after hours, between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. over several nights. In the "Wee Small Hours" of the morning a dreamy piano begins all alone, is joined by bass & drums, and then the three improvise until it’s time to go home. Sssh, be careful on the way out. You may wake up that guy over there in the corner. Recommended.Track listing: Wee Small Hours; Green Dolphin Street; Green Dolphin Street (reprise); For HeavenPersonnel: Bill Carrothers- piano; Billy Peterson- acoustic bass; Kenny Horst- drums.


Guido Manusardi Trio
No More No Less



Year Of Release: 2006
Label: Soundhills Records - SSCD-8135
Total Time: 65:52 min
Tracklist:
1 Softy As In A Morning Sunrise
2 Like Sonny
3 You Stepeed Out Of A Dream
4 Ice Drops
5 Bios
6 Old Folks
7 Who Can I Turn To
8 Just One of Those Things
9 Here's That Rainy Day
10 Untitled 7
11 Labytinthus
Personnel: Guido Manusardi - Piano; Yuri Goloubev - Bass; Massimo Manzi - Drums


Cassandra Wilson
Lovely



by Thom Jurek
Vocalist Cassandra Wilson has used her 15 years at Blue Note to explore the interpretive range of her voice, whether singing tunes by Van Morrison, Robert Johnson, Lewis Allan, Miles Davis, or Hoagy Carmichael. In many ways, Wilson has offered a new view of the standard by using classic rock and Delta blues tunes in her live and recorded repertoires. That said, Loverly is her first offering comprised almost completely of American songbook standards since Blue Skies 20 years ago. Wilson produced the recording in Jackson, MS, and surrounded herself with old friends: guitarist Marvin Sewell, bassists Reggie Veal and Lonnie Plaxico, drummer Herlin Riley, and labelmate and pianist Jason Moran. The material is beautifully chosen; it ranges from Oscar Hammerstein's "Lover Come Back to Me" and Luiz Bonfá's "A Day In The Life Of A Fool" (the English version of "Black Orpheus") to Juan Tizol's "Caravan," Irving Mills' "St. James Infirmary," and Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You." Given Wilson's working methods, these standards are performed in iconic ways — without losing the central integrity of their sources. A prime example would be "Caravan," where the basic rhythmic pulse has been doubled with a snare, hi-hat, and taut, edgy piano. Wilson offers the melody as written, but with her own stretched-line phrasing applied to the lyric. "Lover Come Back to Me" carries within it the gentle bounce of the original, and Wilson evokes both Nina Simone and Betty Carter in her rhythmic approach to the lyric and melody. The warm double-time guitar strut of Sewell paces the track; Moran's solo walks a line between show tune formalism and vanguard improv that is fresh and exciting. The reading of "Black Orpheus" here is unusual: Wilson is very conservative in her approach to the melody, so much so that the beautiful Portuguese "saudade" element is texturally amplified and bossa is stretched to the breaking point. The band's meld of subtle Afro-Latin rhythms evokes Cuban son, and conserves the root elements in the original. The duet between Sewell's truly unique acoustic guitar style and Wilson's vocal on "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" is utterly tender. A pair of left-field cuts are here as well. First is a group improvisation called "Arere." Propelled by a hypnotic, nearly funky upright bassline, Sewell plays short choppy chords with Afro-Cuban percussion in the backdrop; Moran plays around and through the polyrhythms as Wilson sings and speaks — she improvises with the band in a number of different languages. Strangely, it doesn't feel out of place here. The other ringer is a read on Elmore James' trademark blues "Dust My Broom." It is not offered as the raucous barroom wailer it classically is. Instead, it's snaky, sultry, and steamy. Sewell's edgy, razored slide guitar, hand percussion, and Wilson's finger snaps accompany her voice on the first verses, establishing a groove before the rest of the band enters. Her phrasing is pure sassy soul that gradually takes this blues firmly into the jazz camp. Wilson has done what many other singers — many of them on Blue Note — couldn't even envision: she has taken a substantial part of the American songbook, employed a crack, risk-taking jazz group, and added new depth, texture, and meaning to these songs, without sacrificing their elegance or appeal. Loverly is the only reason to avoid imposing a moratorium on the very tired standards genre that has become the bane of jazz in recent years. It cannot be recommended highly enough.


Stefano Battaglia
Re: Pasolini



by Thom Jurek
To call Stefano Battaglia's Re: Pasolini on ECM, ambitious would be an erroneous understatement. In fact, it is an undertaking of enormous propensity. In the United States, Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975) is known primarily as a filmmaker, whose works such as the Decameron, Canterbury Tales, Medea, and the notorious Salo (based on the Marquis de Sade's mammoth encyclopedic novel of perversion and violence, the 120 Days of Sodom, reset in the Italian countryside during the Second World War). He was in fact, a true renaissance man in the grand Italian tradition and was widely known as one: he was a popular poet, playwright, journalist, novelist, actor, painter, linguist and a truly controversial political activist who also challenged the Italian government, the Church and consumerist Italy openly. He was brutally murdered on an empty beach on the evening of All Saints Day (the murder has never been fully explained). Pasolini was a giant figure, a near mythic figure in Italian society and an aesthetic giant in all of Europe. So how does one represent such a figure in music? Battaglia has decided to look at Pasolini's life and work in equal measure. He celebrates and examines them so closely in his medium, so as to be as close to the inside eye of the artist — and perhaps the man — as is possible. Over two discs, he uses two different ensembles to meditate upon the legacy left by this great and tragic artist through his chosen medium: a music that combines in equal parts jazz, classical, and improvisation. Disc one features a sextet that includes trumpeter Michael Gassman who has been collaborating with Battaglia for 15 years. The other members of this first ensemble include Mirco Mariotinni on clarinet, cellist Aya Shimura, bassist Salvatore Majore, and drummer Roberto Dani. The music here is lighter; reflective, melodic even at its moodiest. The opening track "Canzone di Laura Betti," is a song inspired by Pasolini's muse, an actress who worked not only with him but also Bernardo Bertolucci, Alberto Rosselini Federico Fellini and other great Italian directors. Led so beautifully by the piano, the tune serves the deep lyricism of the truly Italian form of jazz, cinema music and the ballads sung by traditional Italian singers, and even opera arias. The cello lilts in and around the piano as it quietly digs into the lyric line and celebrates it to brushed drums and a simple bassline. This gorgeous piece reflects on the actress in a nearly spiritual manner. Other tunes here reflect poems written by Pasolini, and the place of actors he worked with, and the fifth cut, "Fevrar," is named for one of Pasolini's poems. Battaglia uses it as an implement for melodic improvisation on a rural landscape. Sparse, nearly skeletal lyric lines open mysteriously and are commented upon by Majore's bassline, a tapped bell on a cymbal, and intermittent trumpet lines that last only moments. The droning repetition of the bassline suggests the rhythmic line of a poem even as it opens out onto another musical vista, where it never strays far from the emptiness and elegance of the landscape. The entire disc reflects the aspects of his subject's character, an artist and man for whom tenderness, classicism, romanticism and nostalgia were motivating factors and states of being The second disc is another matter altogether as Battaglia teams with members of Louis Sclavis' band — Dominique Pifarély (violin), Bruno Chevillon (bass), and Vincent Courtois (cello) — along with drummer and percussionist Michele Rabbia offer a much darker, more improvisational — and at times tenser — meditation on less pleasurable aspects of Pasolini's life and the often radical nature of his work: his troubled relationship to the Roman Church and his radical politics that were truly committed to a working prole (during the student strikes and riots in Italy in 1969 he backed the police over students because the former were true working men and the students "pampered boys," the leftists backed the students) and railed against the kind of materialism that gave way to consumerism and, he claimed, ruined Italian society. This is chamber music that walks a thin and blurred line between classical music and free improvisation: not free jazz. It courts tension. It is fully engaged, with sometimes-heated dialogue between musicians, but it is also dirge-like in places, brooding and full of uneasy space. It feels like an elegy. Its pieces wind through and around an eight-piece "Lyria" of shorter works. This reflects both the scenic work of the cinema and the episodic nature of epic Italian poetry that often ends in tragedy. Here "Ostia" (named for the beach where Pasolini was killed) — the only long work on disc two and its second from last cut — is full of ambiguity, darkness and open space between the lower register chords of Battaglia's piano and the alternately mysterious strings. The set ends with a sorrowful, melodic ballad that is as moving as the final cue of a soundtrack as it plays the final credits, the last moments of an opera that ends in tragedy. It is one that denotes memory, dignity, and loss. Battaglia has achieved his ambitious aim. His devotion to the work of his subject has moved through him and inhabited him. Not as a ghost, but as a Muse who speaks through his compositions and the truly empathic communication of both these groups. As a true bonus, Battaglia annotates his liner notes, track by track, exhaustively, offering their sources and inspirations as further information. America may have known Pasolini as an art house filmmaker; via Battaglia's Re: Pasolini, he has become something more, something other, a force of the mythic universe. Battaglia's work is an epic, and yes, a masterpiece that is a force in and of itself to be reckoned with. It is the high point in an already celebrated career.


Jessica Williams
Songs For A New Century



O melhor de 2008. Suas composições são fortes e tem inspiração para um brilhante Cd de Jazz. E solo, mas nessse nivel, quem precisa de outro instrumento.

By Dan McClenaghan
If you slip into Jessica Williams' web site and ride the currents of her blog, you could get the feeling that the (proudly) sixty year-old jazz pianist is something of an eccentric. Which is a good thing—in this case, an eccentric being one who has walked away from the hype, b.s. and group think with her head held high, coming up with her own take on the world and this thing called life that we're trying to navigate with as much grace as possible. Her writings reveal a woman of exceptional grace and wide-ranging intelligence, and they also reveal a woman who just might get a wild hair idea and break out her tool kit—the screw drivers and the socket set—to take apart her piano and reassemble it in a fashion that is more to her liking. An eccentric.Williams' Songs For A New Century, a solo piano outing, reveals an evolving artist. Williams thinks it may be her best work. A re-spin of her outstanding Live at Yoshi's, Volume One (MaxJazz, 2004)—a trio affair featuring bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Victor Lewis—spotlights an artist making beautiful sounds and taking beautiful risks within a mainstream framework, a pianist with the joyousness and flair of Erroll Garner, the swinging virtuosity of Oscar Peterson, the depth of emotion of Bill Evans, the sly pizazz of Fats Waller and the soul of John Coltrane.Songs for a New Century is a step forward. The set of all Williams originals, and one Sonny Rollins tune—"A Blessing in Disguise"—opens with "Empathy," an achingly beautiful ballad full of delicate, crystalline notes in a teardrop melody—a spiritually salubrious sound if there ever was one. "Toshiko," for pianist/big band leader Toshiko Akiyoshi, glows eastward sporting a Japanese aura, with Williams making koto sounds, via the tool kit lady's mechanical tweaking (?) of the piano strings. "Dear Oscar," a nod to Oscar Peterson, swings easily on a bluesy late night roll, while "Spoken Softly" sounds like a gloriously implacable truth revealed.Amazingly, Williams recorded this life-affirming set while wrapped in the life-draining, leaden embrace of hypothyroidism, when she had energy for her art and little else.She is evolving; but multiple spins of this gorgeous music say that Williams must be very close to the absolute pinnacle of artistic growth on the enthralling Song for a New Century. With her diagnosis and subsequent management of her disease, who knows how far she can take her musical endeavors.Track listing: Empathy; Toshiko; Fantasia; Song for a Baby; Blessing in Disguise; Lament; Dear Oscar; Spoken Softly; If Only.


Alboran Trio
Near Gale



By John Kelman
Groups like e.s.t. and The Bad Plus have undeniably given the decades old piano trio format a much needed kick-in-the-ass but, as innovative as they've been and continue to be, some of their founding premises run the risk of inherent self-limitation. Still, despite e.s.t.'s ever-increasing pop sensibility and integration of electronics and sound manipulation, the extended tracks of Live in Hamburg (ACT, 2007) demonstrate that its improvisational acumen and longstanding chemistry remain intact.In some ways, however, it's the trios remaining truer to their acoustic roots who are providing definitive evidence that the format is not an anachronism relegated to endless interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Brad Mehldau Trio's recent Live (Nonesuch, 2008) combines unexpected source material like Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" with clever reinventions of classic jazz tunes and complex originals material. By contrast, Italy's Alboran Trio relies almost exclusively on compositions by its pianist, Paolo Paliaga on Near Gale, it's follow-up to Meltemi, the ensemble's 2006 ACT debut.Paliaga's writing (drummer Gigi Biocati contributes one tune, the gently optimistic closer, "Seguendo Il Filo") is unmistakably informed by a warmer and breezier Mediterranean aesthetic than e.s.t., but the group chemistry is no less evocative. Bassist Dino Contenti is every bit as imaginative e.s.t.'s Dan Berglund and just as capable with a bow, based on his intro to "Invariable Geometries." But while Berglund's extracurricular heavy metal proclivities compel him to, at times, wail on his double bass guitar-like, Contenti is overall subtler, more lyrical. Classical romanticism is a part of Paliaga's playing and writing—unmistakably evident on "Invariable Geometries"—the overall approach of the trio is rarified, even as the rhythm section picks up steam behind the pianist's gradually intensifying solo.Contenti is also a focused and theme-oriented pizzicato soloist on tracks like the initially elegant "Fuori Stagione," where he dominates for the first half of the tune before Paliaga takes over and the tune turns idiosyncratic, largely due to Biocata's texturally focused but nevertheless propulsive kit work.Mediterranean references aside, another Alboran Trio demarcator is Biocati's broad worldview. The percussionist has studied rhythms from around the world, having spent significant time in Africa, where he examined and compared its cultural rhythms with those of Europe, America and Asia. The result is a pan-cultural approach to the kit that is never directly referential but, instead, suggests an integrated cosmopolitanism, providing gentle forward motion on the impressionistic and dark-hued "Olvido," while delivering some unexpected hand-driven funk on the barely more grounded "Rrock in the Dark."Alboran Trio may not have the instantly attention-grabbing qualities of e.s.t. or TBP, but with Near Gale it proves itself a nascent group on the move. For those who think the piano trio is an outdated concept with nothing new to offer, Alboran Trio and Near Gale represent a compelling argument to the contrary.
Track listing: Selen Moi; Autumn Mist; Delle Cose Nascoste; Also Sprach Raul; Rrock In The Dark; Fuori Stagione; Invariable Geometries; Olvido; Pow Wow; Selon Moi 3/4; Seguendo Il Filo.
Personnel: Paolo Paliaga: piano; Dino Contenti: double bass; Gigi Biolcati: drums.


Ahmad Jamal
It's Magic



By Ian Patterson
That a Japanese mountaineer successfully scaled Mount Everest in May 2008, at the age of 75, is proof that age is no barrier to those with new goals to conquer. If pianist Ahmad Jamal, at 78, were a mountaineer, he too would surely be attempting to scale Everest. There are those, however, who argue that Ahmad Jamal reached a creative peak in the late '50s, but the truth is that Jamal is neither better nor worse than when he recorded the classic Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing (Argo, 1958) and But Not for Me (Argo,1958). He has simply evolved, and done so without compromising or losing his musical identity. The tremendous energy, finesse and sheer originality present in It's Magic, which has characterized much of Jamal's music this last decade in particular, is evidence that there is plenty of life in the old dog yet.The opening "Dynamo" is, however, something of a misnomer. Jamal and his musicians' energy levels are unquestionably high, but the tune is a bit stop-and-start. It's as if, like a young pianist debuting, Jamal wants to say all he can inside four minutes. There are the trademark contrasts between light and heavy touch, alternating punchy chords and short staccato bursts interspersed with longer, dazzling runs, and here and there flirtatious reference to old standards and even The Beatles. The song is not without merit, but there's almost too much going on.Thankfully, Jamal steers a steadier course on the remaining tunes. The grandiose and elegant "Swahiliand," a perennial Jamal favorite, is reappraised with drummer Idris Muhammad's cymbals marking the pianist's bold chord changes. Jamal has recorded this tune at least four times since the '70s; like Duke Ellington, for Jamal a song is not something with limitations or fixed parameters, it is an ever-evolving work. Similarly, "Arabesque," first recorded on Crystal (Atlantic, 1987) gets a brush down. An infectious bass motif from James Cammack and gently percolating percussion from ex- Weather Report percussionist Manolo Badrena lend this beautiful melody a delicate, lilting swing.There are several old show-tunes: the softly played "It's Magic," by Sammy Cahn and Julie Styne, which finds Jamal at his intimate best; Ned Washington and Dimitri Tiomkine's "Wild is the Wind," which segues into "Sing," by Joe Rapaso, where Jamal gives his most extended workout; and the Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields ballad, "The Way You Look Tonight," where Jamal is sensitively accompanied by Cammack on bass. This latter tune and the self-penned "Papillon" are reminders that few pianists can play a ballad the way Jamal does.Four old tunes revisited, three show tunes and only two completely new tunes might sound like a less then indispensible Jamal recording, but in spite of this, his playing is as sensitive, as passionate and as hypnotic as it's ever been. At 78, fifty years on from one peak, and three years on from yet another, the universally acclaimed After Fajr (Dreyfus, 2005), this most influential of pianists shows no signs of slipping off the mountain top just yet.
Track listing:
Dynamo; Swahililand; Back to the Island; It's Magic; Wild is the Wind/Sing; The Way You Look Tonight; Arabesque; Papillon; Fitnah.
Personnel: Ahmad Jamal: piano; Idris Muhammad: drums; James Cammack: bass; Manolo Badrena: percussion.

1 Sem 2008 - Part 4

Trio Sud
Young and Fine



By John Kelman
For every artist who's achieved popular acclaim there are ten more equally talented, but for whom greater recognition remains strangely elusive. Sylvain Luc's gradually growing discography demonstrates a guitarist with formidable technique and harmonic sophistication, and yet albums like Joko (Dreyfus Jazz, 2007)—a classic six-string workout if ever there was one—remain beneath the radar for many. Equally curious is the lack of visibility for his nearly decade-old Trio Sud. Many will look to Pat Metheny's undeniably excellent Day Trip and Tokyo Day Trip (Both Nonesuch, 2008) as pinnacles of guitar trio jazz in 2008, but Trio Sud's Young and Fine deserves mention in the same breath.A combination of original material by Luc, bassist Jean-Marc Jafet, and drummer Andre Ceccarelli, along with imaginative reworks of songs by Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, and Stevie Wonder, Young and Fine possesses the kind of chemistry that can only come from playing together on a regular basis. While Luc is the primary soloist here, Jafet and Ceccarelli are a simpatico rhythm team—more than a rhythm team, really, as they drive Luc every bit as much as he drives them. Together the trio teems with simmering energy on Jafet's opening "Song for My Twins," Ceccarelli moving from delicate cymbal work to more vivacious support as Luc layers electric and acoustic guitars, at times blending them so seamlessly as to sound like a single instrument. Two-handed tapping on the solo "Imperfect Tune," allows Luc to turn a single acoustic guitar into a mini-orchestra.The trio never overstays its welcome, with most of Young and Fine's 13 tracks clocking in at under five minutes. As inventive a guitarist as Luc is—whether he's creating self-accompaniment so rich it belies there often being only one guitar track or winding either vivid harmonies or serpentine lines, as he does on Jafet's appropriately titled "Sylvain Shadows"—there's never the feeling of excess or overstatement. His choice of textures is also perfect, with his harp-like acoustic driving a spare take of Gillespie's "Con Alma," in contrast to the tart, Scofield-like intro to a Latin-esque reading of Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes," where Luc's tone turns warmer once the trio enters. He combines acoustic and overdriven electric tones for Ceccarelli's fusion-esque "Avenue des Diables Bleus," which moves from spacious to frenetic over the course of its brief four minutes.Tackling a Weather Report song as a trio is an ambitious proposition, but Luc manages to distill the essence of Joe Zawinul's rich electronic orchestrations on "Young and Fine," using a variety of effects to broaden the soundscape. While Luc overdubs his guitar in various spots throughout the album, it's telling that here it's a single guitar, with Jafet's electric bass referencing but not emulating the late Jaco Pastorius, and Ceccarelli's approach fluid and swinging.With Trio Sud's Young and Fine coming a month after Philip Catherine's remarkable Guitars Two, Dreyfus Jazz has released two the most engaging and impressive guitar sets of 2008.
Track listing: Song for My Twins; Sylvain Shadows; Darn That Dream; Sweetest Somebody I Know; Message; Con Alma; Infant Eyes; Avenue des Diables Bleus; Young and Fine; Renaissance; French Brother; Imperfect Tune; Magnificent Marcel
Personnel: Sylvain Luc: guitars; Jean-Marc Jafet: bass; Andre Ceccarelli: drums.


The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album



Extra tracks O mesmo grande classico com mais 5 extras tendo diferentes arranjos e andamento, principalmente na faixa "young and foolish". Possui liner notes e "novas" fotos.

by William Ruhlmann
Having completed his relatively brief sojourn with MGM/Verve in 1973, Tony Bennett was in the midst of forming his own label, Improv Records, when he made a deal with jazz pianist Bill Evans to cut two LPs, this one for Evans' label, Fantasy Records, with another to follow on Improv. The singer and his collaborator ("accompanist" does not adequately describe Evans' contribution, and in any case he received co-billing) got together in a recording studio over four days in June 1975 with no one other than the producer, Helen Keane, and an engineer present, and quickly recorded one of the best albums of either's career. For Bennett, it was a dream project; for years (decades, actually), he had been balancing the demands of commerciality with his own inclinations toward jazz and affection for the songs of Broadway masters and of the Great American Songbook. Left to himself with a jazz partner, he naturally gravitated toward both interests. There were songs here that he had already recorded, but never in so unadorned, and yet fully realized a fashion. Evans was an excellent accompanist, using his steady left hand to keep his singer centered, but ready, whenever the vocals were finished, to go off into his characteristically lyrical playing. Bennett could seem a bit earthbound when he came back in (he still wasn't really a jazz singer), but his obvious enthusiasm for the project, coupled with his mastery of phrasing in songs he understood perfectly made him an equal in the partnership. As far as the major-label record business was concerned, the 46-year-old singer might have been over the hill and indulging himself, but in fact he was in his prime and finally able to pursue his ambitions unfettered, and that would prove itself a major boost to his career over time. For the moment, he'd made an excellent jazz-pop hybrid in which both musicians were shown off to advantage. [The album was reissued with five bonus tracks.]


Ellis Marsalis Quartet
An Open Letter To Thelonious



Uma homenagem respeitosa, demais !! Cade o bom e velho Ellis ????

by Ken Dryden
One of the most challenging demands placed on a jazz musician is interpreting another's works while utilizing the same instrumentation as the composer. Veteran pianist and jazz educator Ellis Marsalis admits that at one point in his career, he was not objective about Thelonious Monk as a composer, preferring the bop of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. But with the passage of time and the opening of his ears to the subtle nuances of compositions, he is perfectly at ease playing his music on these 2007 sessions, which include his youngest son Jason Marsalis on drums, bassist Jason Stewart, and tenor saxophonist Derek Douget(who also doubles on soprano sax). While the opener "Crepescule with Nellie" doesn't stray too far from Monk's concept, the rollicking treatment of "Jackie-Ing" opens up the piece a good bit. Douget switches to soprano for a funky, New Orleans-flavored interpretation of "Epistrophy." The driving take of "Teo," a blues that Monk recorded just a few times, brings to the forefront one of his lesser known works. Throughout the date Marsalis keeps Monk's music very much alive with his inspired interpretations of the legend's compositions.


Charles Lloyd Quartet
Rabo de Nude



by Thom Jurek
Given that Charles Lloyd has been recording for Manfred Eicher's ECM label since 1989, it seems odd that Rabo de Nube (translation: Tail of a Cloud) is his first live quartet outing for the imprint, though he's done so in other combinations. Yet, given that this recording was issued a mere four days before the great saxophonist's 70th birthday, it is also a full circle of sorts for the Lloyd Quartet. Most of Lloyd's early quartet albums were recorded live for Atlantic between 1966 and 1968, seven in total, with the live band recording its first date over 40 years ago and featuring a young Keith Jarrett as its pianist. This association became a blueprint of sorts for a lineage of his subsequent pianists who have all gone on to their own measures of excellence as leaders: Michel Petrucciani, Bobo Stenson, Brad Mehldau, and Geri Allen. Jason Moran, the pianist here, is a leader in his own right, having also played with Wayne Shorter and Lee Konitz, to name just two; more importantly, his teachers offer a clue as to how his highly individual voice was developed — Andrew Hill, Jaki Byard, and Muhal Richard Abrams. Moran joins Lloyd and longtime — and immensely gifted — drummer Eric Harland (who went to high school with Moran in Houston) and new bassist Ruben Rogers, who has previously been a member of groups led by the late Jackie McLean, Roy Hargrove, and Mulgrew Miller.Recorded in Basel during the band's European tour in 2007, the band takes a very different approach to some familiar tunes. For starters, it has to do with style: Moran is a more physical player than many of the pianists Lloyd has employed in the past; his playing is more chord-oriented and percussive, less elegant and soulful than Allen's perhaps, less ornate than Petrucciani's, and certainly less contemplative than Stenson's. The material choices are wide-ranging. There's the hard-blowing "Prometheus," on which Lloyd and Moran walk the margins a bit as Harland pushes them toward it and Rogers holds down a swinging background rhythmic tempo, elaborating on the choruses as a way of focusing rhythm and harmonic investigation. Another blower on the set is "Sweet Georgia Bright," which Lloyd has used live in the past, but was first recorded when he was a member of Cannonball Adderley's group in 1964 with pianist Joe Zawinul. Moran's funky, hard-driving solo and the interplay of the rhythm section are simply remarkable. Lloyd's immense ability to soar over the top and take a nugget like this and infuse it with new fire is an asterisk highlighting his place as one of the true masters of the horn. Lloyd's alto flute gets a beautiful workout on "Booker's Garden," written for classmate Booker Little. His lyricism is only eclipsed by his deep soul groove — which Moran takes to the bank in his own solo that lends the tune a different dynamic, one much bolder and centered in the middle of the keyboard. The playing by Rogers on the track is beautiful, using a Caribbean rhythmic pulse that allows Harland to dance around the soloists and make the backbeat slippery and fluid. The closing title track was offered in a live quintet version on Lift Every Voice, the pickup band album recorded four days after 9/11. This one is quieter, sweeter, and more lyric and gentle, and a perfect way to end a show — it is also the only non-original on the set. Fans of Lloyd's taragato playing will not be disappointed; it makes a grand appearance on the lengthy "Ramanujan." Moran's interaction and contrapuntal rhythmic exchanges with Harland are something to behold here; they push around and through one another in a call-and-response interchange that is subtle but forceful nonetheless. Rogers' way of playing between these two is like that of a telephone wire, bringing it all together. Of the seven tunes here, five are over ten minutes long. In other words, there is a lot of improvisation going on, but it is all deeply communicative and lyrical — Lloyd's trademark for the last five decades as a composer, soloist, arranger, and bandleader. Ultimately, Rabo de Nube is yet another essential Lloyd offering from ECM. His sense of adventure is greater than ever, and his embrace of the tradition is equaled by his willingness to stretch it, bend it, turn it every which way but break it — this band, with its energy and commitment to new jazz, is well-suited for that task and Moran certainly adds to the bounty considerably. Lloyd shows no signs of slowing down or simple contentment as he ages, and we are all the more fortunate for it.


Steve Turre
Rainbow People



by Thom Jurek
High Note Records has been on a roll in 2008. Larry Willis and David "Fathead" Newman have both issued near career-defining statements on the label in 2008 — and that's just naming two. To this illustrious duo add trombonist and composer Steve Turre, whose Rainbow People album — his self-produced third release for the imprint — may be the finest offering of his career as a leader. Turre surrounds himself with likeminded musicians he's played with in various ensembles through the years: drummer Ignacio Berroa, who worked with Turre in Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra; pianist Mulgrew Miller and saxophonist Kenny Garrett, who worked with Turre in Woody Shaw's fine band; bassist Peter Washington, who played with Turre in the Jazz Messengers; and Turre's discovery in the young trumpeter Sean Jones, who was hired on the spot after the trombonist saw him play at a gig in New York. Guest percussionist Pedro Martinez is also in the house; he's worked with Turre in his Latin bands. The program contains six Turre originals, as well as a killer reading of Charlie Parker's "Segment," McCoy Tyner's "Search for Peace," and bassist Steve Kirby's "Cleopatra's Needle." The unhurried and unforced swing of this band is evident from the opening title cut. With its knotty, mantra-like Latin groove, Turre and Garrett take the head into minor-key blues and Afro-Rican soul before coming up with a stretched harmonic cadenza that announces Turre's solo. Miller plays off Berroa's double- and triple-time breaks and fills on the ride cymbal and hi-hat. All the while, Washington struts that vamp into the heart of the multi-textured mystery at the center. Garrett's solo picks up right on its tail and, as evidenced by his own last album, Beyond the Wall, he's playing the best saxophone of his career. His alto is snaky and stretched, and flawlessly digs into the minor-key changes and accents the rhythms at the end of his long, angular lines. The late-night bluesy soul of "Brother Ray" echoes not only the late singer and bandleader's own sense of evoking gospel and barroom dynamics, but also his sense of the emotional undercurrent in his music. Turre is like a singer himself on his 'bone; he gets into the meat of his notes in both verse and chorus — before breaking off into an extended jam with the band — with Ray's sense of phrasing just behind the beat. Miller's piano solo is pure ivory enunciation; his blues articulation is pure and gritty, but so technically astute that he adds colors and hues to the tune, making it shine. The smoking flamenco tinge in "Midnight in Madrid," with Jones sharing the melody, adds some real depth and dimension to the vocabulary first articulated by Gil Evans and Miles Davis — without the strings. Turre keeps it on the avenue without losing a thimble of the elegance and excitement of the flamenco's sultry allure. Jones' solo is a knockout; it's all tense and dramatic, and so blue it's black. The final swinging groover, called "Para el Comandante," weaves together strains of Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and hard bop with all three horns sharing the front line on the head. The rhythm section just seems to hover there, its members interacting with one another, with Washington being their bridge. Miller's solo is sheer graceful dancing on the keys while still punching on that vamp before Garrett jumps in blowing on the changes and extending them harmonically. Turre brings it back to the swinging center of bop with killer flurries of notes that pop on the rhythm section and bite right into Miller's comping. Miller answers by pushing the bop edge into post-bop phrasing and counterpoint in his solo; he elongates the short choppy groove and plays all around and inside it before popping back in seamlessly. Turre brings the conch shells out and sings right through them as the horns offer a solid counter-riff for him to play off of. It's quite a sendoff and simply underlines and highlights what a special, sophisticated, and seemingly effortless date this is. Turre, who has seemingly done every jazz and pop setting from Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Slide Hampton to Mariah Carey and the Saturday Night Live Band, just keeps expanding his vocabulary; his compositions here are startlingly fresh, wildly and cleverly inventive, and full of warmth and humor. His arrangements for this band are his new watermark.

1 Sem 2008 - Part 3

Riccardo Arrighini, Barbara Casini & Fabrizio Bosso
Luiza

Um excelente cd, com musicas do Jobim. So tem problema em alguns agudos da cantora Barbara Cassini. Vale muito !!!

by Ken Dryden
Since the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim was discovered by jazz musicians in the early 1960s, numerous songbooks concentrating on the master's compositions have duly appeared, with a wide variation in quality. Fortunately, this initial volume in a series of Jobim songbooks by Italian pianist Riccardo Arrighini is an exceptional outing. Vocalist Barbara Casini is his music partner throughout the date, a gifted alto who is able to make the most of each piece with her emotional interpretations. They begin with a stunning, moving duet of "Luiza," then the potent Philology house rhythm section, consisting of bassist Massimo Moriconi and drummer Massimo Manzi, are added to the mix for "Caminhos Cruzados." They band does not just stick to Jobim's best known works, but delves into less familiar gems like "Se E Por Falta De Voce" as well. Fabrizio Bosso adds his effective trumpet and flugelhorn to several tracks.


Brad Mehldau Trio
Live



By Thom Jurek
Three years passed between the release of the Brad Mehldau's Day Is Done and this live outing. What's so significant about this is simply that the former record marked the debut of drummer Jeff Ballard, who had replaced longtime kitman Jorge Rossy. Ballard is a more physical, busier, and more energetic drummer, allowing for Mehldau and bassist Larry Grenadier to up the ante in terms of dynamic and rhythmic options. "Day Is Done" offered a number of wonderfully contrasting moments where Mehldau, a big pop music fan from all eras, wove a tapestry from Burt Bacharach and John Lennon to Nick Drake and Colin Greenwood, from Paul Simon to Chris Cheek, as well as inserting a few of his own compositions. House on Hill was released the following year, but the material preceded the arrival of Ballard and was recorded as part of the sessions for 2004's Anything Goes. This trio has also recorded with Pat Metheny on two dates in 2006 and 2007. This is the first live date to feature the group on its own, and it is a very healthy helping.Comprised of two discs recorded at the Village Vanguard during a six-night stint in October of 2006, it showcases the many varied strengths of this already deeply intuitive group. Disc one staggers covers of popular tunes as disparate as Noel Gallagher's (of Oasis) "Wonderwall," Chico Buarque's classic "O Que Será," Chris Cornell's (of Soundgarden) "Black Hole Sun," and Ray Noble's gorgeous ballad "The Very Thought of You" with two of his own compositions. Disc two comes more directly out of the Mehldau songbook, wit three of his own tunes, a Jimmy Heath number, and a standard, and closes with a stunning reading of John Coltrane's "Countdown." The way the trio treats "Wonderwall," beginning with Grenadier and Ballard's funky soul-jazz bass and drum interaction before Mehldau enters the melody, cutting it with large helpings of the blues and soul, is killer. Sure, it has his trademark elegance, but it's the rearrangement of the number with its taut rhythmic groove while keeping the melody all but danceable that's the treat. The beautiful breakbeat and tom tom work by Ballard is uncluttered but it's extremely knotty and busy. The groove is at the center and he brings it home while Grenadier accents it constantly.Contrast this with the next tune, the pianist's "Ruby's Rub," that swings right out of the gate, and yet the way Mehldau changes his sense of dynamics and time with sudden starts and stops, leaving that space for Ballard and Grenadier to adorn however sparsely, is what makes this such a modern work. The Buarque song is given an extrapolated treatment here as it switches from samba to bossa to funk and even modalism while never losing its lyric sensibility, and — what may be the best thing here — note the hand over hand soloing Mehldau does in the middle of the tune and have your breath taken away. "Black Hole Sun" is completely re-harmonized and its melody is ever present but it is an entirely different tune in the hands of the trio. Finally, disc one closes with the Noble ballad, offering a hint as to just how subtle this rhythm section can be. It offers this lithe, almost ethereal bottom that is nonetheless circular and firm, allowing those big spaces between Mehldau's solo lines the room to float right through and enter the listener as gracefully and emotionally honest as any singer.Disc two kicks off with the bandleader's "Buddha Realm." It contains all of the deep rhythmic interplay that this trio does best. As the pianist articulates one of his knottier melodies with long lines that twist and turn inside themselves, Ballard double- and triple-times the band while rolling the ride cymbal enough for a solid pulse to come shimmering through. Grenadier follows both men, offering the middle ground between the flights of two brilliant soloists. It's exciting, innovative, and offers proof that piano jazz, or at least the true rubber-meets-the-road-jazz piano trio still has lots of tricks up its sleeve in the present day. This is genuinely new jazz, not just a showcase over a rhythm section. More evidence is on the Heath number "C.T.A.," where the hard bop charge roars from the starting line and becomes a multi-valent harmonic bank of ideas and extensive methodical and wire-walking creative articulations as Grenadier's tough solo indicates. The nearly 15-minute reading of Coltrane's "Count Down" makes great use of the energy of the original, but the knotty counterpoint solo Mehldau uses to open it is a throw off; a momentary feint. His opening volley of intensely pointed ranginess is worthy of Oscar Peterson. The solo is wildly inventive because the entire harmonic structure of the tune is in there, pushed to the brink by the deep register, right-hand chord voicings he employs that walk the line between stride and post-bop. When the rhythm section enters, the mood changes. It's still very quick and athletic, but it is brighter as well; colorful as well as dynamic and fast. Live is deeply satisfying on all levels including the price point. Mehldau and Nonesuch have made the purchase of the double-disc set very attractive. Those new or curious about the trio will be astonished by what's here, pure and simple. For seasoned jazz fans and those of the pianist in particular, this is nothing short of total delight.


James Carter
Present Tense


by Thom Jurek
Present Tense was born out of two very specific desires. First, saxophonist James Carter wanted a precise recorded portrait of where he was at as a musician, aesthetically and technically. Second was producer Michael Cuscuna's dead-on assertion that Carter, for all his instrumental and aesthetic virtuosity, had never been represented well on tape. Carter's inability to resist overdoing it on virtually everything he records (ten-minute solos in standards, etc.) makes that point inarguable. Cuscuna proves to be the perfect producer -- as both ally and foil -- and reins Carter in to benefit the recording as a whole. The band on Present Tense is solid: the young trumpeter and fellow Detroiter Dwight Adams, pianist D.D. Jackson, bassist James Genus, and drummer Victor Lewis round out the quintet, with percussionist Eli Fountain and guitarist Rodney Jones playing on three cuts each. The program is wide-ranging and eclectic, but it locks. It offers a portrait of Carter as an exciting traditionalist who can stretch arrangements and previous interpretations to the breaking point, without simply making them egotistical statements about him as a soloist.
Dave Burns "Rapid Shave" opens the set on a stomping, storming, Blue Note-style hard bop workout with Carter's tenor and Adams' trumpet playing the 24-bar jump blues with joyous abandon. Adams' comps push the fat harmonic center straight to the front. Genus and Lewis offer sprightly tempos and interesting rhythmic accents. Adams proves he can hang with the big fellows nicely in his own solo. Carter's "Bro. Dolphy" is one of the most compelling and emotionally satisfying tunes on the set, with Carter on bass clarinet. It opens as an angular, slightly dissonant harmonic sprint but gives way to some of the most lyric balladry Carter has ever composed; one can hear his love of Billie Holiday in the melody even as he evokes Dolphy's own love of the blues and simpler melodies. But this isn't enough by a long shot, and before long the ballad gives way to a stomping, Mingus-style workout, the very kind that showcased Dolphy's artistry as both a soloist and arranger.
Django Reinhardt's ballad, "Pour Que Ma Vie Demeure," with Carter on soprano, is lovely. It lowers the intensity and features a fine solo by Genus. Other standouts include Dodo Marmarosa's "Dodo's Bounce," with Carter on flute and Adams playing a muted trumpet. Its elegant, cool swing is balanced by Jones' semi-percussive strum that adds a weight to the rhythm section. Jones also appears on the Carter original "Bossa J.C." Fountain's congas shimmer in this samba, which contains a post-bop force inspired by Ray Barretto's tough Latin jazz sensibility and the lyricism of Tom Jobim. Carter's solo seeks the places where the tune's melody breaks out, and succeeds in finding it. Jones follows the roll of rhythms in his single-string and chord voicings as he alternates between George Benson-esque funk and Baden Powell's elegant textural statements. It works without a hitch. Whether it's in the sprinting bop pyrotechnics of Gigi Gryce's "Hymn of the Orient," or the off minor tropical blues of Jimmy Jones' "Shadowy Sands," or the balladry of the standard "Tenderly," Present Tense showcases Carter at his most disciplined and ambitious. Even his originals -- check "Sussa Nita" -- use the tradition in ways he hasn't employed before. This may be Carter's finest album because of its insistence on the balance between restraint and adventure. Carter placed himself in Cuscuna's expert hands and it has paid off handsomely.


Jon Mayer
So Many Stars


Muito bom!!! surpresa !!!

by Scott Yanow
Jon Mayer has long been a superior modern mainstream pianist based in the Los Angeles area. While he gained his initial recognition in the late 1950s when he recorded with John Coltrane and Jackie McLean, ever since his return to the scene in 1992, he has far surpassed his earlier abilities, recording quite a few rewarding CDs for Reservoir. So Many Stars is a particular standout due to the strong material and the enthusiasm that the trio puts into their interpretations. Starting with Cedar Walton's "Holy Land" and including such pieces as "Nica's Dream" and "Jeannine," the trio sounds quite inspired and closely attuned to each other. Mayer contributed two originals to the CD ("Rip Van Winkle" oughta become a standard) and takes "Never Never Land" as a thoughtful piano solo. With fine support by bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Roy McCurdy, Jon Mayer is heard throughout in prime form. Recommended.


Dena DeRose
Live At Jazz Standard Volume One &Two



Surpresa ! Surprise !! Eargasm !!! Ela canta e toca muito mais, bons arranjos, belissimo trio e eh americana !!!!! Muito bom !!!!

by Ken Dryden - Volume One
There have been a number of singing jazz pianists over the years, yet most have been stronger in one area or the other. Dena DeRose was a pianist first and took up singing only after a hand injury sidelined her from playing for a time. But she is the real deal, able to bring out the best in the music and lyrics to any given piece. Her snappy take of the standard "Speak Low" features her assertive playing, along with a bit of soft scat as she winds up the piece. DeRose wrote the lyrics to Philippe Petrucciani's haunting ballad "This Is Love," a challenging piece that also showcases bassist Martin Wind. Cole Porter's "Get out of Town" seems like a song in danger of overexposure, yet the pianist's amusing approach includes her dark extended vamp and Matt Wilson's unusual percussion line in the introduction. She proves captivating in her solo feature, the bittersweet ballad "A Table Set for Solitude." Her bluesy arrangement of "Alone Together" and delicate bossa nova treatment of "On Green Dolphin Street" also shine. Tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm is added for "I Fall in Love Too Easily," providing an emotional foil for her moving vocal. For DeRose's jaunty take of "Lover," she shows off a bit of playful stride piano before switching to the more familiar jazz waltz setting.

by Ken Dryden - Volume Two
Dena DeRose is one of a handful of jazz artists who is equally talented as both a vocalist and pianist. Live at Jazz Standard, Vol. 2 is drawn from the same 2007 shows as the first volume, with the capable rhythm section of bassist Martin Wind and drummer Matt Wilson (who have worked together a good bit, especially with pianist Bill Mays). Right away she sets herself apart from many vocalists by tackling the subtle ballad "The Ruby and the Pearl," delivering a heartfelt vocal with simmering piano. She adds a bit of playful scat to her jaunty performance of Benny Carter's "When Light Are Low," while tackling Johnny Frigo's "Detour Ahead" as a breezy bossa nova. DeRose omits the piano entirely from her moving take of the bittersweet standard "I Fall in Love Too Easily," backed solely by Wind. DeRose gets a bit tickled in several places during"Laughing at Life," while her strident piano provides the perfect complement to her swinging vocal. Her sole instrumental is a lively trio setting of Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way." Highly recommended.


Taylor Eigsti
Let It Come To You


by Jonathan Widran
The title of this brilliant and multi-faceted twenty-something pianist's 2006 Concord Records debut Lucky to Be Me was a self-fulfilling prophecy. The disc's success took the former child prodigy to a higher level of success, earning him the covers of Jazziz and Keyboard Magazine, and a profile in his own BETJ TV special. A major airplay hit on jazz radio throughout the year, the disc also earned Taylor Eigsti two Grammy nominations. On his second release, he's being a little more ironic with his title, knowing that the accolades will continue but only because he is topping himself creatively and musically. Once again, he proves himself a master interpreter, ensemble player, and composer. Though three of his four originals — collectively gathered as the "Fallback Plan Suite" — are tucked at the end, they display an exciting melodic and slight pop sensibility that perfectly balances the insane flurries of chops on the rest of the collection. The suite's first track "Less Free Will" is a lyrical, slow building, funk-spiked jazz piece that finds him in perfect synch with tenor players Dayna Stephens and Ben Wendel, and flutist Evan Francis. His solo in the midst is elegant and restrained, with subtle horn enhancements. The second movement "Not Lost Yet" features a lovely, sparse arrangement, with only subtle horn and flute textures behind Eigsti's rhythmic musings. "Brick Steps" brings up the energy, with rumbling percussion, rolling piano lines, and darting, punchy horns. This trio of songs is enough to sell jazz fans on the magnificence of the album, but there's equal joy in exploring his twists and turns through a series of pieces from different jazz and pop eras — starting with his thoughtful, low-key then frenetic exuberance on Cole Porter's "I Love You" and running through a high-spirited, strutting and swinging romp on Wayne Shorter's "Deluge." Eigsti puts a clever Afro-Cuban tinge on Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington's "Caravan," and he and guitarist Julian Lage share a hypnotic and sensitive, classically tinged duet on Jobim's "Portrait in Black and White." The pianist saves his richest inventions, however, for a bravura blast through Pat Metheny's "Timeline," a dedication to Michael Brecker featuring several minutes of sizzling improvisation and hardcore jamming by Joshua Redman. Another unique, hip choice is his graceful touch on "Not Ready Yet" by the pop band the Eels. There comes a time in every former prodigy's life when he/she has to be judged by their output as an adult. Eigsti's just keeps getting more compelling and inspiring.