Two Things Brought to My Attention Yesterday: More Sax/Piano, and a pianist you need to hear -- Jessica Williams

Yesterday I was at Sally's Place, my local music store (Wstport CT) still going strong in its third decade of operation, and still run by the indomitable and encyclopedic Sally White, who has sold music on Main Street in Westport since the 1950s. Someday there will be a post about the store and its amazing owner.

Anyway, I was hanging there yesteday talking to another long-time, regular customer about things jazz, and in the course of conversation two items hit me that are worth writing about today.

First, as I have been writing about wonderful saxophone/piano duos lately, my friend happened to mention he was just listening to one from a few years back from two playeers who have since made quite a name for themselves. Two high school mates in fact -- Joel Frahm and Brad Mehldau of Hall High School in West Hartford, Connecticut -- and the disc is "Don't Explain" (Palmetto 2004). It's a disc I bought  at Sally's and one that I have enjoyed  over the years. Mehldau was already well into his career and had already reached "The Art of the Trio Number 5" by this time, and was well-known for his deconstructions of popular song, intricate harmonics, and improvisational spirit. Joel Frahm on the other hand had produced two discs to that point, though he had been a sideman on many others, and was yet to fully blossom to where he is today, as a leader and one of the real "go to" tenors around. Pick up his recording "Live At Smalls" (Smalls Live 2011) and listen-- you'll love it.

"Don't Explain" is a wonderful pairing with a great deal of inventive play on a set of chestnuts like "Get Happy", "East of the Sun" and "Smile", with the latter being achingly pretty. But the real sensations are the two innovative takes on "'Round Midnight" and the interpretation of "Mother Nature's Son" by the Beatles, which exude creativity and warmth. I strongly recommend this CD.

Second, I was amazed that Jessica Williams is still a player whose music is very much under the radar. With her long list of accomplished CDs, both on her own labels and now for the sixth time on Origin with the latest, "Songs of Earth" (Origin 2012) I can only surmise that her location in the Northwest, touring schedule, and the fact that she has not been associated with other leaders as a member of their groups has limited her exposure. And now, as reported by Ted Gioia yesterday, it appears she will be out of the loop for a year or more as she has major back surgery and then will have a long recuperation.

I first came across Jessica Williams on MaxJazz with her first recording for them, "This Side Up" (MaxJazz 2002) and was immediatley hooked on a pianist with such energy and soul -- she was expresive, creative, and clearly a composer of incredible talent. Her range of playing, from the blues to ballads, from stride to bop, is immense, and her tip of the hat to her antecedents like Miles Davis, Milt Hinton and Dexter Gordon enhance her work. I immediately began to collect her music, picking up her other MaxJazz recordings "All Alone", "Live at Yoshi's Volume I" and "Live at Yoshi's Volume II" (2003, 2004, 2005). To quote from "AllMusic.com" on "All Alone": 

This solo piano outing recorded in 2002 is among her finest efforts, especially in her refreshing approaches to standards and some usually overdone (and frequently underplayed) war horses. "As Time Goes By" has almost become a cliché due to its inclusion in the still popular film Casablanca, but Williams' quirky approach to it suggests Art Tatum, Erroll Garner, and Thelonious Monk at different times, yet never loses touch with the melody. Likewise, her playful little embellishment added to Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" suggests a wink and a smile accompanying the expected "I Love You" to someone special. Irving Berlin wrote many memorable songs during his long career, but the pianist chooses two that aren't heard all that often in jazz settings, "All Alone" and "They Say It's Wonderful," with their often maudlin settings drastically altered. Her originals are just as remarkable. The captivating melody of her delicate ballad "Toshiko" glistens, while she playfully hand-mutes the piano strings and incorporates a little strumming of them as well in her infectious and bluesy "The Sheikh." (AllMusic.com)

Williams' recordings go back to 1976 (she was born in 1948) and generally consist of trios and solo recordings. Her earlier recordings often celebrated individual composers for their thematic materials, and she has done discs dedicated to Monk ("In the Key of Monk" (Jazz Focus 1999)), Bill Evans ("Joyful Sorrow" Blackhawk 1998)),  as wllas ones to Art Tatum and Fats Waller.  Her touch is magnificent and vocabulary immense, but it is the originality with which she approaches each tune -- her own or covers -- that makes her playing stand out. Any recording of hers has been a joy to listen to, and each has moments of sheer brilliance in her interpretations or her dexterity or her dedication to the greats who came before her.

Williams has established a working partnership with Origin Records, beginning with  "Billy's Theme" (Origin 2006), dedicated to Billy Taylor, and has since created a half dozen works of increasing brilliance, culminating with the newest recording, "Songs of Earth", a solo outing that has just appeared. It is a set of six originals and "To Be" by John Coltrane, and continues her long run of incredible mastery on the piano, expressive creativity with her almost toally improvised selections, and soulful expressions of love for the earth and its beauties as heard in the music and expresed in the accompanying written material.

William's repertoire is vast and her recordings both in the studio and live are full of energy and class. Her earlier recordings are available on her website, and her later ones on MaxJazz or Origin are readily available at stores or on-line. I would be hard pressed to pick out a place to start, so suggest you decide if you want to hear great interpretations of standards or lush new songs by Williams herself; trios or solo piano; and then make your pick.

Willimas should be in the modern pantheon of pianists with Corea, Hancock, Jarrett, Mehldau and others, and it is a shame she is not recognized as such.

Behind the Leader: Two Familiar Names

Once again, I want to point out that though a leader's name on a CD may be obscure or at least not well-known to many listeners, often the supporting cast includes some well-know characters. Recently I blogged about a young sax player, Erena Terakubo, a very new name. On her initial CD offering, however, her bandmates were Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, and Dominick Farinacci, all better known players. Similarly, I wrote about a young bassist, Andrea Veneziani, whose first disc is wonderful, and whose partner on it is Kenny Werner, who is certainly well-known.

So let's do it again -- two more CDs you might want to find and listen to. As I was pulling out music to write on shortly -- this time I am going to do a survey of my collection of Italian jazz players -- I came across two non-Italian discs that deserve more exposure.

The Anders Christensen Trio, "Dear Someone" (Stunt Records 2008) features Christensen on bass, who is a talented Danish player in the tradition of his countrymates Jesper Lundgaard, Jesper Bodilsen, and Nils-Henning Orsted Pedersen; that is, he is highly melodic, has a strong woody sound, and is an inventive supporting player. NHOP is the player all young Danes try to live up to, and while Christensen does not display the lightening fast play of NHOP, he does maturely provide a strong platform for his mates, and a strong if underplayed groove upon which to build. And it is his band mates that are the well-known players here --- Aaron Parks on piano, who had just debuted on his Blue Note recording "Invisible Cinema" and who today is also linked with the collective group James Farm;  and the master of the drum set himelf, Paul Motian.

What we have here are 10 wonderfully played songs full of great melodies, dynamic interplay and soloing by each player, and the always exquisite colorations of Motian. This is a highly listenable, in the pocket/ down the middle set, but not in the least case boring, old-fashioned or unoriginal. Chrisiansen's solos on "Stompin' at the Savoy" or in the opening "Dear Someone" demonstrate his keen abilities, and Parks as the lead player demonstrates the same abilities and touch that were so widely praised for his "Invisible Cinema" CD. Motian penned three senusous melodies, particularly "Arabesque" that ooze beauty, Christiansen contributes three more and opens one, "The Wedding" with a nice solo lead-in. For me, "I'll Be Seeing You" is a swinging and sentimental highlight.

By the way, the cover appears to be a paean to "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan," which is a touchstone for many of us from the sixties, and if not intentional, speaks to the nature of this ecclectic outing, which in fact features a title track from Gillian Welch, a country waltz.

All in all, an elegant outing that will appeal to many out there.

My second CD today is Martin Speake's "My Ideal" (Basho 2002), which I have noted once previously in a discussion of British jazz, but is noteworthy here not just for Speake himself, who is well-known in the U.K. for his large discography but less known in the U.S., although he had a great CD on ECM a while back called "Change of Heart " (ECM 2006) and is a hughly talented saxophonist; but for his accompanying player in this duo outing, Ethan Iverson, of solo fame as well as fame as a co-leader of The Bad Plus (and a very interesting blogger to boot -- read "Do the Math.")

Speake is generally known to be an "in the box" player, while Iverson carries the opposite reputation, most notably given to him based upon the music of The Bad Plus. But Iverson is also a huge talent and ecclectic player who clearly is comfortable in a variety of settings. I have seen him live in a trio at Small's playing pretty stright up but with a lot of flourishes and inventive impovisations, and the "Live at Smalls" disc he is on with Tootie Heath and Ben Street (Smalls Live 2009) is another treat for listeners.

Here is another sax and piano duo, a formation I discussed the other day in a previous post and noted that it is one of my favorite formats. Speake opens with a terrific solo on "Everything Happens to Me". Iverson doesn't enter for the first two plus minutes but when he does he is immediately inventive, and gives the piano quite a workout while Speake in turn sits out.  His rapid, lush play travels across the keyboard, but the underlying melody is always there. Finally the two play together at about the four minute mark, bringing their thoughts together and creating a real "Wow" moment before quitely bringing the song full circle to its denouement. A marvelous beginning to a marvelous CD.

The nine songs include a full range of classics, and each is a gem. "My Ideal" comes second is is a bouncy jaunt; "What is This Thing Called Love" is a classically played ballad with lovely interpretations laid over the foundation of the melody. Iverson comps beautifully and lets Speake lead the melody out, later taking his own turn on this classic. The rest of the tunes are eqully wonderful, and include "So In Love", "Loverman", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Stardust", "How Insensitive" and "You Must Believe in Spring."

These are standards at their best, played by two virtuosos in the simplest of settings, which gives each room to spread out and create a first rate, must hear CD. No tricks, just beautiful music. Get is from Jazzcds.co.uk -- 5.50  British pounds with shipping ($8.58!!!) -- an incredible bargain that you won't regret.

New Music I am Listening To Today: Steve Einerson

The back of the CD I am listening to, "Arrival" (Cellar Live 2012) by Steve Einerson, says "Steve Einerson is on his way to becoming one of the greatest pianists in the history of jazz." This clearly is a bit of hyperbole at this early date, but does reflect how good this piano trio and CD really is.  The essay about Einerson on the packaging runs over 4 1/2 sides of this trifold and is greatly appreciated. It tells about Einerson, his background and pedigree, and the music itself.  I wish all CDs provided this type of detail.

This is his first recording as a leader, and it is really impressive. Folks who like straight-ahead piano trios, who like to hear classic songs played well will apreciate it. So will those who like to hear a classic piano trio playing new songs written in the classic style with a creative hand.  Those who like things that are a bit outside, think "modern creative jazz" and Iyer or Iverson or Shipp, may find the material too old fashioned for their tastes, but that is what makes the music so great (Mind you I like all three pianists cited in this sentence as well as their CDs -- you don't have to like one or the other and in fact I hope you don't). With new songs and a new ear, Einerson has not simply repeated the past but has created his own path using the past as his touchstone.

Einerson is no spring chicken -- he is 38 and clearly a student of the genre. He is from Wisconsin and is the child of two musicians. He studied music for a while, and then finance, played part-time for a long time until he threw himself into the music by relocated to New York in 2004. From then on, music has been his life, and he has played with all sorts of New York based players -- Eric Alexander, Brian Lynch, and his two partners on this CD, Paul Gill on bass and Pete Van Nostrand on drums.  The essay describes how he has learned from the masters, absorbed their stylings and writings, and then incorporated them into his own sound. He cites Bud Powell as his first influence, and then Cedar Walton, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, and Harold Mabern as the key influences on his playing. He then goes on to note so many others -- Wynton Kelly, Red Garland, Sonny Clark, Barry Harris, Ahmad Jamal, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans.  With these classicists as his models, how could he not have shaped a tremendously enjoyable CD first time out? 

Einerson wrote 6 of the 9 pieces, and selected three interesting songs upon which to improvise -- "That Sunday, That Summer" best known as a ballad for Nat King Cole, Julie Styne and Sammy Cahn's "I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," and Elton John's "Your Song." His six pieces take the language of his "teachers" and create lovely melody lines, creative interplay with the bass and drums, and those little touches that distinguish him as a pianist to watch for. "Nikki's Joy" starts off the disc with a nice mid-tempo romp that right away sets the mood and establishes Einerson's impeccable credentials. Fleeting Moments" ends the disc and is a first rate ballad worthy of the masters, played over some simple brushwork and spare coloration. In between there are a range of tempos and moods, including some blues and some bossa, all tastefully presented.

Cellar Live may be a small label, but it has a great track record for its releases and this is one more feather  in Cory Weeds' cap. Kudos too to Ian Hendrickson-Smith for the lovely sound of the recording.

Ketil Bjornstad "Floating" (2005)

Ketil Bjørnstad is best known in the U.S. for his work with ECM, beginning with "Water Stories" in 1993, right up to the present with "Vinding's Music" in 2012. But Bjornstad has recorded extensively on other European labels, and one of the finest examples of his work that I have listened to is "Floating" (Emarcy/Universal 2006) which, according to his liner notes, was also his first recording in a classic piano-bass-drums trio, with Palle Danielsson and Marilyn Mazur respectively.

Bjornstad was born in 1952 in Oslo, and as a child was trained as a classical pianist. By age 14 he had won the  title of "Youth Piano Master"; by 16,  he debuted as a concert pianist playing Bartok's 3rd piano concerto. He subsequently turned to jazz and played extensively with other Scandanavian players like Terje Rypdal, Arild Andersen, and Jon Christiansen; as well as the American cellist David Darling.

Beginning with his first recording in 1989, he has recorded more than 50 times for labels including ECM, Kirkelig and Universal/Emarcy. His earliest piano work was gathered in 2011 and released as "Early Piano Works" (Hubro 2011) and demonstrates wonderfully his earliest forays into what is commonly called European Chamber Jazz.   Bjørnstad established his international reputation with "Water Stories"  in 1993, and with his duo works with David Darling and Terje Rypdal, also on ECM, in the early 1990s.  His 2010 ECM album, "Remembrance" was another outstanding effort and featured on several songs the tenor saxophone of Tore Brunborg, along with the drums of Jon Christiansen throughout. It was another in a long line of flowing, meditative and serene works that characterize Bjornstad's writing. Bjørnstad is also a writer of words, and has published about 30 books in all, including poems, novels and  biography. His most recent work for ECM is entitled "Vinding's Music", and is tied to his fictional trilogy “To Music”/”The River”/”The Lady In The Valley”.  

 

"Floating", with bassist Danielsson and drmmer Mazur topped the jazz charts in Germany when it was released there in 2006 amd is an exquisite recording. While not an ECM release, it certainly looks, sounds, and feels like one, and the 16 short pieces are an inspired piece of delicate writing. Danielsson and Mazur add depth and subtle rhythmic pulses to the music that floats above so gently and lyrically. The mood matches the title of the CD perfectly, and the creativity of Bjornstad's writing is on display throughout. Danielsson provides a warm,earthy bass, and Mazur's varied and sympathetic percussion provides a rhythmic base as well as soft colorations.  Nothing is rushed, notes are used sparingly to enhance the simple melodies, and  the bass and percussion burnish the sound.  I suppose the title of this music is ambient chamber jazz, or European chamber jazz, but that doesn't matter. What does is the strength of the results, the delicate and introspective playing of Bjornstad, and the enveloping ambiance of the music. This is music that will surround you with its warmth and soul.

If you already enjoy Bjornstad's work, go ahead and buy this. This is music which will melt away the tensions and anxiety of the day.

Tenor Sax and Piano: Two Recent Recordings

To my ears, the greatest tenor sax and piano duo was "People Time"by Stan Getz and Kenny Barron. Whether you purchase the two disc highlights or the entire box set of all of the performaces, this is a beautiful pairing of two expressive and sympatico masters at their most creative, even as this was Getz' last recording as he sadly died three months later.

In the past few months I have picked up and enjoyed two tenor sax and piano duos on CD, albeit with very different moods than the Getz/Barron pairing. The earlier of the two has been reviewed by many and was selected by some as one of 2011's outstanding discs. It is  Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo together on "Songs of Mirth and Melancholy" (Marsalis Music 2011). The two have been playing together since 1998, when Calderazzo replace the late Kenny Kirkland in Marsalis' band.  

The disc leans toward the melancholy, with haunting moods, lyrical lines and subdued play by both men, particularly Marsalis pulling back on his horns.  The melancholy is encapsulated  in Marsalis'  "The Bard of Lachrymose," with Marsalis on a haunting soprano sax. Calderazzo's "One Way," is one of the few peices expressing the mirth. It is a more swinging, bluesy piece than most, and the conversation between the two friends is upbeat and tied to the old  swing traditions of jazz.  Overall,  "Songs of Mirth and Melancholy" is surprisingly subdued, and while it is an exceptional partnership and expressive CD, the melacholy overwhelms the CD and leaves mirth well into the background. A nice listen and one I would recommend, but remember that it is more subdued than the title suggests.

The newer of the two CDs herin is "Smoke and Mirrors" (kwrecords 2012) by Bobby Wellins and Kate Williams, and this too is a subdued set played by two wonderfully expressive players.

I have written before about Wellins and Williams, as they are major jazz players on the U.K. scene with a long list of accomplishments between them. Wellins is the veteran here, born in Scotland in 1936 and still going strong at age 76. He is a tenorist who began his career with big bands, including the Tony Crombie Band, which also featured Stan Tracey, another seminal U.K. player. Though he began recording in 1950s, he is still very active today, and in 2012 was given the Parliamentary Jazz Award as the Jazz Musician of the Year in the U.K.

Kate Williams plays piano in the tradition of Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett, Bobo Stenson and others; that is, with creativity, great touch, and expressive writing. Her recording career began in 2002 and she has a half dozen recordings which include groupings from trio to septet. In past blog posts I have recommended a number of her recordings.

"Smoke and Mirrors" is a duo, as previously noted, but there are no smoke and mirrors in the music, just some simply wonderful accoustic pairings of two talents whose play is highly sympatico.  The two have worked together before in other formats and appear to know each other quite well.  

"Smoke And Mirrors", the title song,  is a collaborative piece by both composers/players and sets the mood for the recording, which is subtle, relaxed, and harmonious. The two work easily together trading leads and comping in an effortless way. standard: languid, relaxed interplay between tenor saxophone and piano that has the effortless ease that can only come from players in total command of their craft. Williams' does have a solo on her composition "What If..." and it is a stirring and emotional experience, but the  real fun is in hearing the duo, on either  their own pieces or on a couple of standards. The first of the two is an interpretation of  Jobims's "If You Never Come To Me," with Wellins' tenor warm and romantic; and the second is Gershwin's "The Man I Love", where Williams provides the swinging rhythm for Wellins simple and effective playing of the melody.

This is another example of two players understanding each other and the music, who do not over-embellish the melodies, play with restraint, and provide the listener with a wonderfully laid-back set. The two set the mood from the outset -- langourous and romantic -- and the music glows with their warmth and charm.

Highly recommended and available from jazzcds.co.uk.  

The Tommaso Starace Quartet Plays Michel Petrucciani

Among my great loves in jazz are Italian players --  Enrico Peranunzi, Paolo Fresu, Enrico Rava, Stephano Bollani, Stephano deAndrea, Fabrizio Bosso, Gianni Basso, Roberto Gatto... the list could go on forever --  and creative piano geniuses, in this case represented by Michel Petrucciani, the French piano wizard with the distinctly Italian-sounding last name. So put the two together and what you get is magic, a lovely new disc by Tommaso Starace entitled "Simply Marvellous -- Celebrating the Music of Michel Petrucciani" (Universal Music Italia 2012).

I hope most readers of this blog know Michel Petrucciani as well as his backstory, and have heard at least some of his music on the Owl or Dreyfus label. Briefly, Petrucciani was born in France in 1962 with osteogenesis imperfecta,  a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature -- it is often called glass bone disease. This disease caused his bones to fracture over one hundred times until he reached adolescence, and pain remained hroughout his  life. From the beginning, Petrucciani was interested in music and the piano, the latter from seeing Duke Ellington on TV, but his greatest influence was Bill Evans and was reflected in his writing and playing -- layered harmonies, lyrical style, and articulation of melody. Petrucciani gave his first professional concert at the age of 13, having to be carried to and from the piano by his father. Note that despite his size (he could not reach the pedals for example)  his hands were average in length although they too were brittle. By 15, he was playing in Paris with Kenny Clarke and then Clark Terry a year later in his breakthrough performance.  Petrucciani was a difficult person; he compensated for his disability by having an outsized and somewhat immature personality; at the piano he overcompensated at first by playing many more notes than necessary, a trait that diminished as he grew more confident. But in his personal life he acted out and lived life to what he called the extreme for his entire 36 years.  

After his breakthrough with Terry, Petrucciani began playing and recording in France with Aldo Romano, but eventually broke away to pursue his dreams in California. While there, he visited the retired saxophonist Charles Lloyd, who truly came out of retirement after hearing Petrucciani play.  “I was here not planning to play again. You triggered me. I heard this beauty in you and I said, 'well I have to take you 'round the world cause there’s something so beautiful, it was like providence calling.”  They began an association that lasted almost a decade, and Petrucciani and Lloyd's performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival was made into an album. In 1982 they won the 1982 Prix d’Excellence.

Petrucciani moved to New York City in 1984 and spent the rest of his life there in a maelstrom of creativity and debauched living.  He recorded with Wayne Shorter and Jim Hall, played with Dizzy Gillespie, and recorded several solo piano records.  “I really believe a pianist is not complete until he’s capable of playing by himself. I started doing solo concerts in February 1993...  I had a wonderful time playing alone, and discovering the piano and really studying every night."  In the late 1990s,  he was moving at a frenetic pace musically, playing in excess of 100 concerts a year, and socially as he began to  drink more heavily and experiment with cocaine. He became too weak to use crutches and had to resort to a wheelchair and was carried on and of the stage.

Michel Petrucciani died just after his 36th birthday from a pulmonary infection in 1998.  He left behind a wonderfully diverse set of recordings, on Owl and Dreyfus records for the most part, consisting of solo concerts, trios, and other combinations.

Why dedicate an album to Petrucciani, especially one led by a sax player? Starace in the liner notes says that after programming a few of Michel's songs into his program, the band increasingly found that the energy and passion of Petrucciani's originals inspired the group to greater levels of play. So this is a celebration of his life, his loves, and his incredible positivity in spite of his disabilities. As Petruciani said, "My philosophy is to have a really good time."

Nine of the ten songs are Petrucciani compositions, with the other a Starace original "Marvellous." Starace, an alto and soprano sax player, generally works in Europe and performs here with his Italian Quartet: Michele di Toro, piano, Attilio Zanchi, bass and Tommy Bradascio, drums.  Not only are they a solid working group, but two special guests join them at times and raise the music to even greater heights: Roger Beaujolais on the vibes and Fabrizio Bosso on trumpet and flugelhorn.

The CD lives up to its billing -- the wonderfully lyrical tunes of Petrucciani are played sympathetically, with wonderfully diverse expression and feelings, and a pure mood of happiness.  They are pretty much straght-forward interpretations that hew closely to the objectives of their composer -- rich melody lines, pretty harmonies, and virtuosity from each of the players.

Some of the highlights follow, although every song could be a highlight --- it is that good. The piano/soprano duet on Little Peace in C for You is outstanding, and when the soprano sits out the piano solo is pure heaven; the entire song has a happy, bubbly feel that has to bring a smile to any listener.  My Bebop Tune follows with a brisk romp that showcases Bosso on trumpet. After a brisk unison opening with the sax and trumpet and upbeat piano solo, Bosso plays a burning solo right out of the fifties. Starace picks it up and burns himself on the alto, and then the piano and bass engage in a short romp. Everyone demonstrataes in this single song the chops that are evident throughout. On Guadeloupe, a latin tinged melody,  Bosso and Starace are showcased once more; and Beaujolais provides depth and color to "September Second" and has a great solo on the closing "Cantibile." Watch for more by Di Toro in particular, he is that good here. Bosso has already established a reputation in Eurpose both as a leader and sideman, and has a number of fine discs on European and Japanese labels.

The entire CD is great and pretty much adheres to Petrucciani's rules of life -- live it to the fullest, have fun, and be positive. The music does that emphatically.  Starace says it’s that enjoyment and freedom they feel when they play his music, and they demonstrate that in spades. This is a wonderful celebration of life that should appeal to everyone. 

Please search it out, and while you are at it, grab some Petrucciani as well if you don't have any. It will bring a smile to your face!

A Lovely Discovery: Mira Opalinska and Douglas Whales, Pianist and Bassist

In my perusal of websites, stores, and labels, I came across a description of this CD, "Lumiere" (Natural Studio Records 2012) by Mira Opalinska and Douglas Whates, on piano and bass respectively. Given the subject matter -- the cinema scores of some well known European composers from some wonderful movies -- I went ahead and ordered a copy. This is a restrained set with a low key, beautifully harmonic and expressive chamber jazz ethos of spare and beautiful melodies. The approach is that of two minimalists, with Opalinska displaying a lightness of touch  which draws upon her classical origins. The two invest the music with a tranquil beauty, and capture an ECM like spirit of quiet intimacy. Biographies of the two are at  http://owduo.com/about.

The music includes pieces from "Rosemary's Baby" and "Knife in the Water" by Krzysztof Komeda, Vangelis' "Blade Runner", two pieces from "Cinema Paradiso" by Andrea Morricone, and three other pieces from lesser known composers and movies. I must say, for the first three minutes of the opener from "Rosemary's Baby" I wondered what I had gotten into -- this section was extremely slow and full of unusual bass playing, with large spaces and little flow. But at the three minute mark, everything coalesced and from then on the CD was full of delicate play. “Ballad for Berndt” from “Knife In The Water” exhibits the virtues of careful and precise piano playing of the graceful melody accompanied by a queitly plucked bass. The lesser known excerpt from “Rikyu” is from Toru Takemitsu’s score for a film celebrating the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Whates combines bowing and plucking and Opalinska periodically plucks the strings of the piano from under its lid, creating a striking piece with an Eastern sound and a good deal of dramatic interplay. The “Blade Runner” sequence  begins in an intensely quiet fashion and gradually blooms as Opalinska provides the wispy melodies over a strongly played bass undertone which portends some of the drama inherent in the movie. .Ennio Morricone’s music from “Cinema Paradiso”is played with sensitivity as a beautiful solo piano performance.

 “Lumiere” is a CD with a singular mood and atmosphere, established early and played throughout the entire CD. the partnership is celarly intense about its play, but that intensity is rendered not with dramatic changes in tempo or loudness, but with  feel, texture and nuance. this is a uniformly slow tempo, quiet and introspective CD. It is enjoyable for those who like sensitive play;  it’s chamber jazz in the ECM vein of Anat Fort or Marilyn Crispell, disciplined, simple and memorable.  This pair have created a distinct world of sound for themselves, but one that is eminently enjoyable for the listener.

Recorded a Filharmonia Podlarpacka, Rzeszow, Poland October 2011