Denny Zeitlin: Panoply

  Pianist Denny Zeitlin has worn a lot of musical hats since his debut in a trio format on Columbia in 1964. Over the years, he’s performed as a soloist, as leader of a trio, and, adding synthesizers, in a series of duets with percussionist George Marsh. Typically, these are discrete projects, but for his latest Sunnyside release, Panoply, he’s decided to program a lengthy CD with previously unissued music from a variety of sessions. Zeitlin’s latest trio features Buster Williams on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. They’re heard on four tracks that were performed in New York at Mezzrow’s, a 2019 gig that previously resulted in the Live At Mezzrow CD. The trio leads off the disc with a gently swinging version of Gershwin’s I Was Doing All Right. Next up is the heavily electronic Excursion, the first of five improvised duets with Marsh. The duets were selected from a decade of sessions held at Zeitlin’s home studio in California. As much as I love Zeitlin’s acoustic work, I’ve never really warmed up to the music that’s resulted from what Zeitlin describes as “a marvelous adventure.” But with the duos interspersed among the trio and solo selections, I expect that they will start to make more sense to me. The three solo pieces that are present were recorded at Zeitlin’s annual gig at the Piedmont Piano Company in December 2012. Among the standout tracks in this carefully selected and intelligently sequenced disc are the tender and boldly romantic solo treatment of Bill Lee’s Only One, the hyper-speed romp through Cherokee (another solo), the duo’s soothing A Raft, A River, and the trio’s emotional journey through Stordahl and Weston’s I Should Care. Panoply offers a heartily enjoyable listening experience. Definitely recommended. 

Sunnyside SSC 1741; Denny Zeitlin (p; p, hardware, & virtual synthesizer on duo selections) George Marsh (d, perc on duo selections) Buster Williams (b on trio selections) Matt Wilson (d on trio selections); solos, Oakland, CA, December 1,2012; duos, Kentfield, CA, 2013-2023; trios, NYC, May 3-4, 2019; I Was Doing All Right (trio)/ Excursion (duo)/ Only One (solo)/ Ambush (duo)/ Music Box (duo)/ Cherokee (solo)/ Regret (duo)/ Weirdo (trio)/ A Raft, A River (duo)/ Limburger Pie and Beeswax Crust (solo)/ I Should Care (trio)/ Johnny Come Lately; 77:32. sunnysiderecords.com

Satoko Fujii: Torrent

  Blessed with a fecund musical imagination and fleet fingers wedded to impeccable technique plus formidable determination, the prolific pianist Satoko Fujii is at her best on Torrent. The pandemic limited her to playing at home, either solo or with her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura. This solo piano recital was recorded in the municipal theater in Iwo City, Japan, and was totally spontaneous. As she notes, after the restrictions due to Covid, she says she feels “more comfortable now playing unaccompanied. It’s like looking down into myself.” The audience, both in Iyo City and now at home, reaps the benefits of her introspection. Besides playing the piano at home, she must have done a fair amount of experimentation with pedals and playing the insides of the instrument. Some of the sounds she produces for this concert are other-worldly, almost electronic in places. The use of extended techniques is most pronounced on the endlessly fascinating Cut the Painter, with manipulation of the strings, bangs on different parts of the instrument, and a curious drone effect, plus gentle melodies from the keyboard. All of her music is wildly unpredictable, as short phrases lead to dense passages and calm sections are contrasted with turbulent bursts of sound. Light on the Sea Surface is one of the more impressive pieces on the program. In the first half, a constant flow of ripples from the right hand is contrasted with some heavy and dark chords from the left hand. The second half of the performance is somewhat solemn, with lots of silence and more strong work at the bass end of the piano. The track ends with a thunderous attack, heavy on the bass, before dissolving into silence. The first few minutes of the peaceful Horizon combine a gentle melody with occasional light strums directly on the piano’s strings. Slowly, the music becomes more aggressive and stormy. The finale, Wave Crest, starts out with a call-and-response pattern between the two hands. The approach is reminiscent of Cecil Taylor’s solo performances, both at the start and as the piece evolves into dense and busy flurries of notes in a sumptuous display of Fujii’s formidable and occasionally forbidding playing. Torrent is a total triumph, beautifully recorded, and a journey worth savoring again and again. 

Libra 201-072; Satoko Fujii (p); Iyo City, Japan, October 10, 2022; Torrent/ Voyage/ Light on the Sea Surface/ Cut the Painter/ Horizon/ Wave Crest; 52:56. satokofujii.bandcamp.com www.librarecords.com

Piano Trios!! (Part 4): Craig Davis, Matthew Fries, Chris Parker

  According to the online Jazz Discography, pianist, composer, and arranger Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa participated in 140 sessions, at first with big bands led by Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, and Artie Shaw, and in small groups like Shaw’s Gramercy Five and various Slim Gailliard ensembles. He played with both Lester Young and Charlie Parker, made trio recordings for Dial in 1947, and did some small band record dates in the Sixties for Argo and Prestige. Obviously, he was very well-respected by his contemporaries, and yet today he’s mostly remembered for his name. Pianist Craig Davis is out to change that, and he’s enlisted the non-pareil bass and drums team of John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton to assist him on Tone Paintings: The Music Of Dodo Marmarosa. Clayton and Hamilton first recorded together as members of the Monty Alexander trio in May 1976. Over the forty-plus years since that date, they’ve teamed on a vast number of record dates, and they’ve co-led The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra since 1989. Having them on a session ensures an endless source of solid swing. Along with ten of Marmarosa’s delightful originals, all first recorded between 1945 and 1947, Davis has written one tune for the project, A Ditty For Dodo, which fits snugly in the middle of the set. He’s a gifted pianist, with a bouncy and propulsive rhythmic sense, and an elegant style reminiscent of Hank Jones and Barry Harris. If these deeply felt and passionate renditions of Marmarosa’s bop-era tunes don’t start to encourage more musicians to play them, it won’t be for lack of trying. Tone Paintings will keep your toes tapping and your spirit lifted. Definitely recommended. 

MCG Jazz MCGJ 1056; Craig Davis (p) John Clayton (b) Jeff Hamilton (d); Glendale, CA, May 1-2, 2021; Mellow Mood/ Dodo’s Bounce/ Dodo’s Blues/ Escape/ A Ditty For Dodo/ Opus No. 5/ Compadoo/ Dary Departs/ Tone Paintings I/ Battle Of The Balcony Jive/ Dodo’s Lament; 50:53. www.mcgjazz.org

Pianist Matthew Fries is joined by the stalwart bassist John Hébert and the experienced drummer Keith Hall for Lost Time, performing a batch of beguiling original tunes. The eminently tasteful Fries and Hall have worked together backing vocalist Curtis Stigers starting in 2004, so their rapport comes as no surprise. While Hébert is probably most known for his work in Mary Halvorson’s bands from 2008 to 2015, he’s played on dozens and dozens of record dates since first recording with a large Peter Herborn ensemble in 1997. His connection to saxophonist Andrew Rathbun, who produced this session, goes back to 1998. In spite of the pandemic isolation, where one might expect music reflecting feelings of introspective morosity, the mood of Fries’ tunes is often upbeat, like the solidly swinging Quarantine. There’s plenty to enjoy here, including The Fog, which opens the set with an immediate sense of the musicians functioning as equals in the music; the absorbing Heroes, with its multiple tempo shifts handled with imperturbable aplomb by the trio; the introspective ballad Continuum, which features one of several fine bass solos by Hébert; and the wistful and delicate Lost Time, which closes the vinyl version of this music. Two songs (another pretty ballad called Nine Robins and the jaunty June Blues) are available only for downloading or streaming. Happily recommended. 

Xcappa XCP1005 (vinyl, download and streaming); Matthew Fries (p) John Hébert (b) Keith Hall (d); Chicago, IL, July 21, 2021; The Fog/ Insomnia/ Quarantine/ Heroes/ Continuum/ Lost Time/ Nine Robins*/ 8 June Blues*; 55:44. (* tracks are download or streaming only) xcappa.com

Watching the Chris Parker Trio at work in the studio on a video press release while they were recording Tell Me, I was struck by the sheer joy that was obvious on the faces of pianist Kyoko Oyobe, bassist Ameen Saleem, and drummer/leader Chris Parker as they played. The veteran Parker, who’s played with everyone from the Brecker Brothers, Lionel Hampton, and Gato Barbieri to Cher, Bob Dylan, and Aretha Franklin, sounds totally relaxed in the trio format, giving his partners plenty of solo space. The deep pleasure that I saw on the video is evident in the music. Saleem has a powerful sound. He generally keeps his solos short and to the point, seamlessly shifting from soloist to accompanist. Oyobe, with only a few previous recordings to her credit, seems like the real deal. She’s got a great sense of time, technique to spare, and a penchant for long flowing lines. Her standout solo comes on Tophland, where she dazzles as she rides the waves of Parker’s propulsive drumming. The trio is equally effective at tempos like the brisk Coolypso, adapted from Monk’s Let’s Cool One or the deliberate pace of Dwa Serduzska, Parker’s delicate arrangement of a Polish folk song, which makes for an engrossing listening experience. The trio set ends with the title track, Tell Me, and everyone has their say on this happy swinging tune. Parker has placed a quartet track at the end of the CD, Title Waived. Steven Bernstein gives it atmosphere with a slew of brass instruments, guitarist Chris Biesterfeldt and bassist David Finck bring the funk, and the whole thing has a late-night slow groove. Not bad, really, but out of place just the same. But that’s no reason to ignore the trio material, which is well worth hearing. 

M’Bubba; Kyoko Oyobe (p) Ameen Saleem (b) Chris Parker (d) on * only: Steven Bernstein (tpt, slide tpt, tbn, euph) Chris Biesterfeldt (g) David Finck (b) Parker (d); NYC, no dates indicated; Coolypso/ Desaparecido/ Inferno Avenue/ Dwa Serduzska (for Hanna)/ Minky, Don't You Weep/ Nippon Days, Nippon Nights/ Tophland/ West Cornwall Bridge/ Tell Me/ Title Waived*; 59:24. www.chrisparkerdrums.com

Piano Trios!! (Part 2): Dave Brubeck, Cyrus Chestnut

 

Remember Paul Desmond’s old joke about being asked “how many of there are you in the quartet?”? Well, for one night in Vienna in 1967, there were only three musicians on stage instead of four, so the Dave Brubeck Trio played a set instead. Desmond never made it to Austria in time for the gig, after getting “distracted” during a night on the town in Hamburg. The audience’s loss back then is our treat today, as Live From Vienna 1967 documents the only known recording of Brubeck, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello performing as a trio. This show comes from near the end of the famed unit’s final tour. The band played their last performance in Pittsburgh on Boxing Day 1967 (issued on Columbia as The Last Time Out). All the pieces in the trio set were being played by the quartet on this tour, as we know from various recordings. But of course the audience could not have known how the same pieces might have sounded in Paris or Holland, so they get to savor these renditions in the trio format with more space for bassist Wright and drummer Morello. In his brief liner note, Dave’s son Darius Brubeck writes that his father had said “that the best concerts by the Classic Quartet took place when he was angry.” He was surely angry on this night, and the best way to make the crowd get past their expectations was to inject that frustration into the music. The trio comes roaring out with St. Louis Blues, a staple of jazz repertoire for decades by then, and frequently performed by the Brubeck quartet. The swinging never stops. Wright and Morello were one of the best bass and drums teams of the era, but since their work together was limited to Brubeck and his many projects, the pair didn’t get the respect they might have engendered if they’d had the chance to work in other contexts. Be that as it may, their contributions make this release a real standout in the extensive Brubeck discography. The crowd is loving it too, as their strong applause for a furious rendition of Someday My Prince Will Come makes clears. Live From Vienna 1967 is strongly recommended. 

Brubeck Editions BECD20220301; Dave Brubeck (p) Eugene Wright (b) Joe Morello (d); Vienna, Austria, November 12, 1967; St. Louis Blues/ One Moment Worth Years/ Swanee River/ La Paloma Azul/ Someday My Prince Will Come/Take the "A" Train; 42:39. brubeckeditions.com

We all know that musical ability runs in families. For instance, four of Dave Brubeck’s six children became professional musicians. It turns out that the estimable pianist Cyrus Chestnut started playing when he was “between 2 and 3 years old” when his legs “were strong enough to climb up on the bench” and sit next to his father as he played the piano. The elder Chestnut, who was self-taught and played extensively in church, nurtured and inspired the talented youngster. McDonald Chestnut passed away in May 2021, at the age of 85. My Father’s Hands, with Chestnut joined by bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash, is the pianist’s “statement of gratitude” to his father. Chestnut has frequently done sessions in a trio format, and very successfully I might add. His penchant for soulful, churchy playing has long been recognized. For this very personal outing, Chestnut has chosen songs that have a special meaning for him, including a quartet of original compositions. The immense rapport of the musicians is apparent from the start, with the hard-bopping original Nippon Soul Connection. That should be no surprise: Chestnut and drummer Nash have played together many times over the years in varied contexts, while Nash and Washington have an almost unbelievably extensive mutual discography. They first teamed up on a Grady Tate session in 1989, and since then they’ve worked with everyone from Tommy Flanagan to Jimmy Heath and on and on. Their almost telepathic link helps the music dance and come alive. Chestnut’s one solo performance on this disc comes on a suitably emotional reading of I Must Tell Jesus. My Father’s Hands is a beautifully crafted tribute, and a story, in Chestnut’s words, “of a son being grateful to his father for all of the lessons taught.” Don’t miss it. 

HighNote HCD 7339; Cyrus Chestnut (p) Peter Washington (b) Lewis Nash (d); NYC, December 14, 2021; Nippon Soul Connection/ Thinking About You/ Cubano Chant/ Baubles, Bangles and Beads/ Yesterday/ I Must Tell Jesus/ Working Out Just Fine/ There Will Never Be Another You/ But Beautiful/ Epilogue; 49:29. www.jazzdepot.com

Bill Evans Trio: Live At Ronnie Scott’s

  It’s always a treat to hear more unearthed music by the massively influential Bill Evans Trio, even if the sound quality is less than stellar. Resonance has previously released four Evans titles. The fifth is the two CD or two LP Live At Ronnie Scott’s, serving up just over an hour and a half of Evans’ short-lived 1968 trio with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums. DeJohnette recorded the gigs himself, and while the sound quality changes from track to track, it’s never very good. The piano lacks much presence, the bass is too loud (sometimes), and the drums sound hollow and far away. It’s too bad, really, since from what you can make out through the bad balance and hiss is that the trio was in very good form during this extended stay (four weeks!) at the premier jazz club in London. The version of Turn Out the Stars is quite nice, and the first disc comes to a rousing finish with a high energy rendition of Someday My Prince Will Come. Disc two sounds marginally better than the first half, featuring a fine Stella By Starlight and a upbeat version of Waltz for Debby. While you’re listening to the music, and perhaps grumbling about the sound, you can at least enjoy the David Stone Martin cover art and the well-illustrated 44-page booklet. In the best Resonance tradition, there are notes by producer Zev Feldman and prolific writer Brian Priestley, who actually attended a night of the run and wrote about it at the time. There are interviews with Eddie Gomez, a conversation between Jack DeJohnette and Chick Corea, and, most surprising, a truly enlightening interview with Chevy Chase, a big Evans fan who met the pianist and became friends with him. Hard to recommend this one, except to die-hard Bill Evans fans. Resonance HCD-2046; Bill Evans (p) Eddie Gomez (b) Jack DeJohnette (d); London, England, July 1968; Disc 1 (50:13): A Sleepin’ Bee/ You’re Gonna Hear From Me/ Yesterdays/ Turn Out the Stars/ My Man’s Gone Now/ Emily/ Spring is Here/ Embraceable You/ For Heaven’s Sake/ Someday My Prince Will Come. Disc 2 (49:37): Quiet Now/ ‘Round Midnight/ Stella By Starlight/ Alfie/ You’re Gonna Hear From Me/ Emily/ Waltz for Debby/ Autumn Leaves/ Nardis. resonancerecords.org

Piano Trios: Lafayette Gilchrist, Kjetil Mulelid, Jeff Hamilton

A trio of piano, bass, and drums forms the bedrock of the modern jazz combo. As a format, it seems virtually inexhaustible, limited only by the imaginations and talents of the musicians. A steady supply of trio music arrives at Mr. Stu’s Record Room. In a pair of posts, I’ll discuss six recent projects. 

Pianist and composer Lafayette Gilchrist and his trio with Herman Burney on bass and Eric Kennedy on drums come ready to rock the house and rile things up on Now, with a generous running time of nearly two-and-a-half hours on two CDs. Gilchrist has mined a number of musical areas to come up with his own approach to composing and playing. In his irresistible melding, we find the blues, of course, the spirit of early jazz piano styles like stride and ragtime, a healthy dose of gospel, echoes of Hollywood scores and television theme music, the musical knowledge gained over two decades performing with saxophonist David Murray, and crucially, the funk-soul feeling of go-go music, the long-lasting Washington, D.C.-based musical style and one of the few remaining regional musics in America. Gilchrist and company easily avoid the trap of set routines that a piano, bass, and drums combo sometimes falls into during the course of an evening’s listening. Bassist Burney is a steady ensemble player and fine soloist, and the group picks his solo spots wisely. It’s the same with the eminently tasty drumming of Eric Kennedy. Instead of showy drum solos, we’re treated to his deep in the pocket groove and his consistently rewarding lock with Burney. I’m of the mind that there are different ways to listen to any given album, and while Gilchrist’s formidable pianism is obviously the main event, taking the time to concentrate on the bass and drums throughout this set will be seriously edifying. Touches like the bowed bass and mallets on shimmering cymbals approach to the relatively gentle Say a Prayer For Our Love or the dynamic free-flowing give and take that they bring to the next track, Bmore Careful, are just two examples of their knack of getting it just right every time. Gilchrist’s last release was a solo effort, Dark Matter, one of the best discs of last year, and when I get around to compiling a list for this strangest of all years, I’m sure Now will on it. Memorable melodies, unstoppable invention from Gilchrist, and a solidly rocking and swinging beat seal the deal: Now is music for right now and many tomorrows to come. Strongly recommended. 

Lafayette Gilchrist Music; Lafayette Gilchrist (p) Herman Burney (b) Eric Kennedy (d); Bowie, MD, no dates specified; disc 1 (75:36) : Assume the Position/ Bamboozled/ Rare Essence/ Old Shoes Come to Life/ On Your Belly like a Snake/ Say a Prayer for Our Love/ Bmore Careful/ The Midnight Step Rag. disc 2 (73:25): Tomorrow Is Waiting Now (Sharon's Song)/ The Wonder of Being Here/ Purple Blues/ Newly Arrived/ Enough/ Get Straight to the Point/ Can You Speak My Language/ Specials Revealed. www.lafayettegilchristmusic.com

I was so taken with the first CD by the Kjetil Mulelid Trio when I reviewed it that you might expect their next effort, What You Thought Was Home, to soar to the top of my review pile. But humans are notoriously perverse, and slim discs in slim cardboard sleeves are too easily overlooked. Or maybe I just needed to wait until the right time to start listening to it, with the news all bad and getting worse. It can’t hurt to have some eminently pleasing and almost startlingly optimistic piano trio music on hand to change your mood. Mulelid, who composes the bulk of the material, has a knack for one enchanting melody after another. His trio caresses his genial songs with enough rhythmic vitality and energy to keep the music in motion. Bassist Bjørn Marius Hegge, who composed the gentle Bruremarsj (Wedding March), and drummer Andreas Skår Winther work together very well, making their presence felt without drawing much attention away from pianist Mulelid. The overall feeling of Mulelid’s music is best summed up with his song When Winter Turns Into Spring. The title alone evokes an immediate positive response from anyone who has ever lived with a cold and snowy winter. And Mulelid is from Norway, so the change of seasons is an especially noteworthy event. Particularly fine are Homecoming, a calm processional that has echoes of Keith Jarrett and Abdullah Ibrahim, and the exploratory flow of Far Away, a solo feature for Mulelid. There’s also a bit of musical humor in the appropriately titled A Cautionary Tale Against a Repetitive Life. Hummable melodies, pleasing interactions among the musicians, and the overall feeling of music delivering the equivalent of a warm embrace make What You Though Was Home an eminently worthy follow-up to their first release. Warmly recommended. 

Rune Grammofon RCD2208 (CD/lp); Kjetil André Mulelid (p) Bjørn Marius Hegge (b) Andreas Skår Winther (d); Halden, Norway, November 15-16, 2018; What You Thought Was Home/ Folk Song/ Bruremarsj (Wedding March)/ Tales/ Far Away/ A Cautionary Tale Against a Repetitive Life/ Waltz For Ima/ When Winter Turns Into Spring/ Homecoming; 37:06. runegrammofon.com

The drummer and leader of the Jeff Hamilton Trio has amassed hundreds of credits in a distinguished career that began in the Seventies with Monty Alexander and Woody Herman. He was a member of the L.A. Four from 1978-82, played with prominent figures like Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, and George Shearing, and in 1985, co-founded the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra with bassist John Clayton and alto saxophonist Jeff Clayton, which still plays gigs and records. He’s also managed to keep a trio together with pianist Tamir Hendelman for the last 22 years. Their latest effort is Catch Me If You Can, with bassist Jon Hamar joining the trio to replace Christoph Luty. The trio’s crisp rapport is in evidence from the first notes of Make Me Rainbows, an early piece by composer John Williams that swings right along at a bright tempo. Hamilton plays a lot of sessions, which exposes him to songs he might otherwise miss, like the Williams song he encountered while playing a Holly Hoffman date. It’s a lovely melody that sets the tone for the entire disc. Hamilton is close friends with pianist George Cables, and Cables’ timelessly beautiful Helen’s Song is treated to a charming, finger-snapping arrangement. Hendelman’s title track arose as a challenge from Hamilton, who asked for “a medium up-tempo piece.” Hamilton adds “Big mistake!” as the pianist wrote a devilishly tricky tune, but they have a lot of fun just the same. Hamilton studied with drummer John Von Ohlen, citing him as a major influence on his playing. Von Ohlen was a pianist as well as a big band drummer with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton, and The Pond is one of his tunes. Hendelman handles it with care, and Hamilton’s brushwork is impeccable. Lapinha comes from the repertoire of Sergio Mendes, and it cooks in a lightly swinging bossa groove. Bassist Hamar contributes two songs. The Barn is a bluesy mid-tempo swinger named for the trio’s rehearsal space, and a feature for Hamar’s sturdy bass playing. His other piece, Bucket O’ Fat, starts off with a powerful yet relaxed bass solo, then develops into a sort of blues. Hamilton, once again on brushes, is impressive on this one. The last three tracks were associated with big bands. Bijou is a Ralph Burns composition that the drummer used to play with the Herman band, played here as a tribute to the great Herman drummers. Thad Jones’ Big Dipper was played by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, and Hamilton tells us in his friendly liner notes that as a teen, he would start every day by playing along to the recording. Here he lays down a slightly up tempo that works perfectly for the tune. The finale is Moonray, an Artie Shaw song brought in by Hamar, and played with bright panache. Catch Me If You Can is a well-crafted and enjoyable mainstream piano date that swings like nobody’s business. Recommended. Capri 74163; Tamir Hendelman (p) Jon Hamar (b) Jeff Hamilton (d); Hollywood, CA, August 14-15, 2019; Make Me Rainbows/ Helen’s Song/ Catch Me If You Can/ The Pond/ Lapinha/ The Barn/ Bucket O’ Fat/ Bijou/ Big Dipper/ Moonray; 58:02. caprirecords.com

Lafayette Gilchrist: Dark Matter

Listen to enough music of all kinds, and after a while you can tell pretty quickly if there’s anything really happening on a particular disc. It took me just a few seconds of listening to pianist Lafayette Gilchrist’s solo album Dark Matter, to realize that I was in for a real treat. Gilchrist’s musical associates have included Oliver Lake, Hamid Drake, Carl Grubbs, and, crucially, David Murray as a member of his Black Saint Quartet. This is his second solo effort, after 2012's The View From Here. He’s heard here in concert at the University of Baltimore, his home town. Gilchrist starts the set with For the Go-Go, a blues in tribute to the Washington, DC/Baltimore go-go music scene he grew up with. The pianist is smoking and stomping from the start, and all I can say is that virtually any jazz fan will be happy to just sit back and let Gilchrist take you into his confidence as his original compositions roll over you. The finely detailed recording by Gilchrist’s co-producer Wendell Patrick captures his rich piano sound and his close attention to the dynamics of a tune. There are hints of both Monk and Bud Powell in his piano style, along with occasional forays into free territory. Gilchrist is continually harking back to earlier pianists like Earl Hines, Willie “The Lion” Smith, and Duke Ellington, with his left hand particularly active for a modern player. Gilchrist really has it all: a highly individual touch, a powerful rhythmic drive, a deep affinity for the blues, appealing compositions, and the ability to play the hell out of them. There are a number of jarring edits between songs that mar the flow of the music, but aside from that, Dark Matter is a genuine triumph, and one of the albums of the year so far. Don’t miss it.
Lafayette Gilchrist Music CDcds 005; Lafayette Gilchrist (p); Baltimore, MD, September 18, 2016; For the Go-Go/ Child’s Play/ Dark Matter/ The Love Bind/ Spontaneous Combustion/ And You Know/ Blues for Our Marches to End/ Old Whale Bones/ Happy Birthday Sucker/ Black Flight/ Greetings; 67:59. www.lafayettegilchristmusic.com