Denny Zeitlin, Stairway to the Stars

There is more than one Denny Zeitlin--pianist, composer, electronician, advanced garde jazzman, purveyor of interpretive acumen for the standard repertoire. On the trio effort Stairway to the Stars (Sunnyside 1380), as one might gather from the title, exactingly thoroughgoing re-thinking of standards is the order of the day.

Denny assembled a trio for the San Francisco Jazz Festival and a gig following that at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, 2001. He chose bassist Buster Williams for his beautiful sound and sense, and a then-young Matt Wilson on the drums.

Fortunately the Jazz Bakery gig was well-recorded, and we now have some excellent music on disk from the stint, the recording at hand.

The trio runs through some standards well- and less-well-known, my favorite being an excellent rendering and interpretation of Wayne Shorter's "Deluge". But there are really stunning versions of such familiars as "Oleo", "You Don't Know What Love Is", and "Spring is Here", among others.

What is remarkable is the Denny Zeitlin harmonic-melodic pianistic exponent, which is at full throttle and continually to be heard on this set. He is a master of such doings in his own right, even if these days more time and attention may be given to the Evans-Jarrett contingent. Just listen to Maestro Zeitlin's excellent work here and listen again.

Buster Williams not only fits right in, he sounds inspired and at his best. The piano trio in full flourish needs an acutely aware bass master who does much more than walk, of course. And Buster comes through in rather spectacular fashion. We know now how musical Matt Wilson is as a drummer. The special subtlety and punch demanded of a trio drummer was something he already could muster up, and that he does here.

The time of the recording chronologically was 2001, but really this kind of set is without provence. When everything is right there is a timelessness. That is clearly the case on Stairway to the Stars.

This one is not to be missed!

New Zion Trio, Fight Against Babylon

Want to hear something very different? The New Zion Trio's Fight Against Babylon (Veal 007) comes through with something that will put you in unexpected places. It's a piano trio with a different approach. Jamie Saft is at the piano and Rhodes, Larry Grenadier plays contrabass, and Craig Santiago is at the drums.

It's a music of space and solidity they play. Starting with the basic rhythmic and riff concepts of classic reggae, and often working in minor modes that reflect a wide Jewish stylistic heritage, they create a music that expands outward and inward.

The rhythm section propels the sound outward with rock-steady reggae sensibilities; and Jamie Saft lets the music breathe inward with block chords and musical commentary on piano that has the sense of space and form of Ahmad Jamal in his classic years, maybe a touch of Red Garland, a pinch of the Necks in one of their zones, and flat-out originality.

It's a remarkable recording. I have not heard the like. And it makes for a beautiful listen.

Alan Rosenthal, Just Sayin'

I wasn't very intimate with the music of pianist-composer Alan Rosenthal before his new CD Just Sayin' (self-released) crossed my desk. Now I most certainly am!

He meshes together with the great bass and drums of Cameron Brown and Steve Johns, respectively, and lets loose.

He has affinities, certainly, with middle-period Paul Bley and early-mid Keith Jarrett. And a touch of Bill Evans. But he goes his own way with that to create a very inventive set of performances. It's new-bop, free-bop, bop-be going on in the best sense.

The compositions pop, the band swings brilliantly and Alan creates some very choice pianism. It's all there: touch, striking voicings, lines of originality and some very groovy Cameron and Steve.

Eight Rosenthal originals plus the old "Red, Red Robin" as a change up make for a very listenable set.

It's an extraordinarily nice trio outing that will make you happy if you seek something in the modern vein that is NOT shopworn.

Steve Kuhn Trio, Wisteria

Steve Kuhn's illustrious career as pianist-composer-bandleader has been rolling along for so long now that it might be easy to take him for granted. We shouldn't. Judging by his latest trio recording Wisteria (ECM B0016762-02) he is as vital as ever. The combination of refined harmonic-melodic sophistication and restrained fire is there still, and perhaps ever more so. Like Keith Jarrett, he owes something of his mature style to a Bill Evans influence. Unlike Jarrett, he incorporates these elements into a Steve Kuhn sensibility.

The trio is an excellent one: Kuhn with Steve Swallow's ever more singular electric bass and Joey Baron's swingingly dynamic drums. They give it all a great big push in a program of originals, other lesser-known jazz gems and a standard.

Steve's roots go way back of course, so you hear a touch of the line weaving of the great instrumentalists of the late '50s and early '60s. And again it is fully incorporated into the Steve Kuhn ethos.

Without indulging in excessive hyperbole I think it is fair to say that Mr. Kuhn remains at the top of the hill among changes-oriented jazz pianists active today. This album offers good evidence of that as it also gives you a program of piano trio sublimity that entertains and uplifts. Beautiful album!

Julio Resende's Piano and Trio Shine Warmly On "You Taste Like A Song"

Portuguese pianist Julio Resende has a kind of poetic touch. His trio date You Taste Like A Song (Cleen Feed 216) waxes that way. A reflective Silencio--For the Fado opens the album with a beautifully glowing balladic-free piece that seems full of saudade longing.

The trio has alternating bassists and drummers and they all do good yeoman's service accompanying and abetting Julio's improvisations, getting space of their own as well. The original pieces have something musical to grab onto virtually all the time and Resende plays like he means it.

There's a hint of mid-period Jarrett in terms of brightness, but not enough to say that he is a disciple. It's Julio's own way that comes to the fore on the CD. The title cut is especially attractive, with a fairly up bossa-rock feel and a kind of luminescent chordal melodic progression that enchants the senses.

There are some effective acoustic funk-rock trio forays, more helpings of balladic charm, moments of Bley-like freedom and use of trio space, a little of the Guaraldi-Jarrett gospel chordings, and plenty of different feels to keep the soul in a zone that rubs on one's musical concentration like Alladin on the magic lamp. And the CD closes with Monk's "Straight No Chaser" in a very personal sort of version.

It's another good one from Cleen Feed. It's a very good one for Julio Resende. Modern piano trio nuts should find plenty to crack here.