Piano Elegance

Four elegant pianists have blessed us with three wonderful recordings in the past couple of weeks, a great way to kick off 2014.

Beginning with the solo recording, the veteran British pianist John Taylor once more has produced a lush, reflective, and refined recording "In Two Minds" (CamJazz 2014). Taylor begins the CD with the self-penned "Ambleside Suite" in three parts, wrote several other pieces, and uses two by Kenny Wheeler, a similarly minded trumpeter, and "Reflections in D" by Duke Ellington. I've written before about Taylor (4/11/13, 5/29/12 and others), not only as a leader but also on works by John Surman, Anders Jormin, Wheeler, Charlie Haden, and Peter Erskine to name a few. The music is the definition of elegance, with lush melodies and harmonies, and mixes his classical and jazz instincts effortlessly. Another first rate outing for Taylor.

Next a duo, Gwilym Simcock and Yuri Goloubev, on piano and bass respectively, on "Duo Art: Reverie at Schloss Elmau" (ACT 2014). Simcock is a personal favorite, another British pianist mixing classical and jazz training. I have written extensively on Simcock in the past including a posting on his discography in  January 2012, and later about his solo outing on this same piano at Schloss Elmau. The sound from this setting on this and other recordings is wonderfully rich and adds to the aural experience on these pieces written by the two artists. Once again the mixture of classicism and jazz stands out on this wonderful recording.

Next up, is a trio recording in a more traditional mainstream mode, George Cables "Icons and Influences" (High Note 2014). His partners here are Dezron Douglas on bass and Victor Lewis on drums. The title says it all -- this is a songbook dedicated to those who Cables looked up to and who influenced his playing and conception of the music. there's "Cedar Walton", the title of the first piece, featuring tight synchronicity among the players, a nice uptempo opener that speaks to both pianist's roles as leader and sideman through the years. Then there is a beautiful, heartfelt elegy for Mulgrew Miller " Farewell Mulgrew", tips of the hat to Duke Ellington, Bill Evans and Benny Golson through use of their tunes, in all twelve mainstream compositions from the heart. It's a great trip through Cables' jazz influences, a lovely set of songs that demonstrate Cables' sensitivity and grace at the keyboard.

Finally, there is Edward Simon "Venezuelan Suite" (Sunnyside 2014) which excels as it extends the reach of Simon's music from his previous outings. This a new direction for the accomplished pianist who as a leader and as a member of the SFJazz Collective has already had a long string of excellent CDs demonstrating both his facility at the keyboard and his excellence in composition. While the first two recordings above combined jazz and classical music, this CD combines jazz with the rhythms and sounds of Simon's native country, and does so with a larger band with richer tonalities and timbres. Joining Simon are saxophonist Mark Turner,  John Ellis on bass clarinet, drummer Adam Cruz,  Roberto Koch on bass, Marco Granados on flute, Leonardo Granados on maracas, percussionist Luis Quintero and Jorge Glem on cuatro, the string instrument that is Venezuela’s national instrument.  Edmar Castaneda guests on one track on harp. The suite is composed of four tunes named after Venezuelan cities -- Barinas, Caracas, Merida, and Maracaibo; the final piece is "El Diablo Suelto" written by Heraclio Fernandez in 1888 and updated for this performance. The music is expansive, with a range of solos and ensemble sections, catchy beats, lilting melodies, and rich harmonies. The flute and cuatro in particular lend the music a special vibe that enriches the entire program. And Ellis' bass clarinet stands out on "Caracas". It's an enchanting set, a feast for the ears with it variety and pacing, and with the richness of the melodies and interplay among the many voices. Outstanding.

If You Like Mehldau and Jarrett: John Law is a Must

John LawJohn Law is a 51 year old British jazz pianist and composer. He was born in London to British and Austrian parents. Just as pointed out in the blog about Aaron Goldberg, Law is another one of the many young jazz pianists who started in classical piano, in this case at age 4. With the teaching and help of a mentor, Austrian concert pianist Alfred Brendel, he was awarded a scholarship to study piano and composition at the Royal Academy of Music (1979-83), and followed that with an Austrian government scholarship to study for a year in Vienna, where he shifted from classical music to jazz. By 1990, he was working with saxophonist Jon Lloyd, and recorded his first CD, Syzygy (Leo Records). He later worked with Tim Garland, Martin Speake, Julian Siegel and others while composing, doing improvisation and avant garde concerts, and incorporating classical language into his jazz.

Since 2007 Law has been most widely known for his four discs in his project entitled The Art of Sound. The music on all four discs, released between 2007 and 2009, is almost exclusively Law's originals, sometimes fully improvisational, and always extremely melodic, compositions. Two of the discs, Volumes 1 and 4, are done with Asaf Sirkis on drums and Sam Burgess on bass; the other two (Volumes 2 and 3) are solo. The trio demonstrates a wide palette of sound colors and tempos, along with the virtuosity and intensity of their partnership. A more recent disc, This Is, is a duo with Mark Pringle, and is not one of the series.

The Art of Sound Volume 1 (33 Records 2007) -  Law identifies no influences but does speak of who he enjoys listening to; in an interview with All About Jazz (November 4, 2009) he identifies Tom Cawley, Tord Gustavsen, EST, Bad Plus, Gwilym Simcok, and others as some of those he enjoys greatly. But he doesn't mention two other influences that seem to hover around the piano and his playing, Americans Brad Mehldau and Keith Jarrett. Like Mehldau, who called his CDs the Art of the Trio, Law calls his The Art of Sound, which at least indirectly creates a link in one's mind. Just as Mehldau does, Law is able to boldly create highly independent lines in his left and right hands, provides wonderfully rich harmonies and melodic structures, and builds his works with a great deal of expression.  He is a highly tuneful composer, as demonstrated first by the lovely, lilting "Close of a Long Day" and then by the upbeat, jazzy "Blue Sky Blue." Together with Sirkis and Burgess, the trio is a constant joy to listen to.

The Ghost in the Oak (Art of Sound Volume 2) and Chorale (Art of Sound Volume 3) (33 Records 2008) - Thse  two solo discs were recorded at the same time in 2007 at the Artesuono Studios in Italy (from where the name Art of Sound is derived) and released in 2008. This is an awe-inspiring display of virtuosity, and will readily bring to mind the improvised music of Keith Jarrett, particularly his later shorter pieces from New York, London/Paris, but also his epic playing at Koln. Again, the mastery over both hands as they play opposite each other, here contrapuntally and there in sequence, coupled with the flowing melodies, make for an outstanding listen. Classical piano lovers will appreciate his slower, stately, elegiac pieces. Still, he swings as well on  "Zero-G", and features a boogie-like tune in  "Fair Weather Friend".

With regard to his music, and his variety of playing styles, Law told All About Jazz: "I think I try and retain some of the best elements of classical music—chief among these has to be classical (functional) harmony; it's unique in the whole of world music—and mix them with those elements I get from jazz which I don't get from the classical tradition—mainly what I sometimes call the voodoo element. The repetitive rhythm and groove, which classical music never has." (Interview with John Law, All About Jazz, November 4, 2009). He went on to talk about his improvisational methods, which are powerfuly demonstrated on these discs: "Funnily enough I try and achieve, with my improvising, a feeling that it's sort of almost been composed beforehand, and with my compositions, the idea that they're made up on the spot. I don't always try for this but it's somewhere at the back of my mind. Because, on the one hand I truly believe that only through real time composition can one achieve some of the most amazing results in music, in terms of perfect form and in terms of matching the atmosphere with something totally appropriate."
 

Congregation (Art of Sound Volume 4) (33 Records 2009) - Law returns to the trio with this disc, the last in the series, and his tunes are terrifically lyrical with a nice jazz groove and some interesting new percussion elements added for coloration. the title tune "Congregation" is a forward moving, lively, and at times almost anthemic, and it should get the foot tapping and body moving, which leads right into another upbeat tune, "Bo Peep." The music overall is a bit more adventurous and experiments with sounds, although not to the extent that they overwhelm the tunes themselves. But bassist Sam Burgess uses some distortion effects not unlike those of Bad Plus or EST, and Asaf Sirkis is more inventive than before. One can compare songs that appear on both solo and trio recordings, most notably how "Ghost in the Oak" is transformed by the addition of some very interesting bells, clicks, and assorted background sounds. Still, Law never releases completely from his classical underpinning, and "Still Life" for example retains his spontaneity with classical materials. The closing Chorale starts softly as a comtemplative piece which surprisingly ends with a Latin beat. Just a complete picture of a terrific artist, with some great drum soloing and arco bass complementing the piano.

This Is (33 Records 2011)- In his most recent outing, Law works in a piano duo setting with his student, Mark Pringle, and achieves yet another sonic victory. It's aminated and for a change includes compositions by others, including Pringle but also J.S. Bach, Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny, and Cole Porter. The two consistently are stretching the melodies and rhythms, initially opening up for investigation the Bach "Concerto for Two Harpsichords."  Lyle Mays's Chorinho is a lively exchange of tempos and improvisations, while "This" and "Is" are lovely ruminations on harmony and the nature of sound. This spirited recording not only introduces us to Mark Pringle, but also to another side of John Law, composer and interpreter.

For those who love piano music and particularly the music of Mehldau, Simcock or Jarrett, these recordings, no matter in which order you choose to listen and in solo, duo, or trio formats, will provide hours of listening pleasure.

The Art of Sound Trio (l:r): Asaf Sirkis, Sam Burgess, John Law

Get to Know: Gwilym Simcock

In the United Kingdom, 30 year old pianist Gwilym Simcock is a musical voice to be reckoned with, and yet in the United States it appears he is barely known. After listening to even one of his recordings and in some cases perhaps only one of his tracks, one need not read all the superlatives to understand the magnitude of his accomplishments at such a young age. Simply put, Gwilym Simcock is not just one of the most gifted pianists and imaginative composers on the British scene, but on the world scene.  His discs moves easily between classical music, which is his training, and jazz, and he inhabits both worlds so easily that his music has already been compared to some of the great pianists today --  Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Dave Kane, Cadence USA). His abilities are dazzling, his compositions engaging and exciting at times, mellow and subtle at others. According to Simcock, his influences include jazz legends Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and John Taylor and classical composers Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky.

 .

His formal education includes Trinity College of Music (London), Chetham’s School of Music (Manchester) – where he studied classical piano, French horn and composition -- and the Royal Academy of Music (London) where he graduated from the jazz course with first class honours and the coveted 'Principal's Prize' for outstanding achievement.

My first exposure to Simcock was the double album "Blues Vignette (Basho Records 2009), as captivating an introduction to an artist as one can imagine. Over two discs he moves effortlessly between classical and jazz moods, in solos, duos with cello, trios, written music and improvisations, upbeat tempos and moving classical pieces. He opens right away with "Little People", a lovely tune with the fluidity of a Bill Evans or Red Garland.  The title tune is a very bluesy number which brings a swinging rhythm to the party, thus displaying on one disc the full range of Simcock's playing. Think of the distance between a swinging Gershwin tune "Nice Work If You Can Get It," and the classicism of his duo for cello and piano. CD2 is equally outstanding.

The first listen to this album was overwhelming. Hearing it clarifies why Simcock has been called  the most important new pianist on the British scene.  At age 28, his maturity, compositional abilities, arrangements were already the full package.   

And yet there is so much more to listen to. As soon I could, I went back into his discography for other examples of his playing and purchased several more discs.  

Simcock's first exposure as leader was entitled “Perception” (Basho Records 2007) . It featured a sextet with Stan Sulzmann (saxophones), John Parricelli (guitar), Phil Donkin (bass), Martin France (drums) and Ben Bryant (percussion), and  was nominated for Best Album in the BBC Jazz Awards 2008. An auspicious start , it only hinted at the pleasures of his next two recordings as leader, "Blues Vignette" as discussed, and "Good Days At Schloss Elmau."

Good Days at Schloss Elmau (ACT 2011) is a solo concert of original compositions that is just magnificent. He varies widely between upbeat rhythms and ethereal, dreamlike set pieces. His lyricism is unmistakable, his harmonies wonderfully arranged, and the technical quality of the recording pristine. This is exciting, joyful music that will lift any listen's heart, and stands up to the best of Mehldau, Jarrett, and other great solo pianists.  

Simcock also has several excellent albums as a sideman. He began recording a few years prior to his first disc as leader, and there are some exeptional examples of his interplay in other settings. He has been a member of Accoutic Triangle, with bassist Malcom Creese and Tim Garland on wind instruments, playing piano and even French horn on "Resonance" (Audio B 2006) and "Catalyst" (Audio B 2008). The trio blends modern and chamber jazz to great effect on some very nice recordings.  

More recently, he worked  as a sideman to saxophonist Julian Arguelles on Momenta (Basho Records 2009), and with the quartet The Impossible Gentlemen (Basho 2011) with Mike Walker on guitar, Adam Nussbaum on drums, and Steve Swallow on bass.  "The Impossible Gentlemen" is by far the most upbeat and propulsive recording of Simcock's career to date, a bit more outside than the other ercordings, and with any luck at all there will be more CDs of this quartet to come.  

For an artist so young, Simcock has racked up a staggering array of accomplishments, but these recordings demonstrate that he deserves the accolades being heaped upon him. There can only be more great things to come; in the meantime hopefully listeners in the United States will catch up with this marvelous talent.