An A-Z of Evansiana...
Nine tracks, the treatment of Keith Jarrett's 'Love no. 1' is the longest at a little under seven minutes in duration.
By contrast the version of Aaron Copland's 'Down a Country Lane' is the briefest clocking in at 2 minutes dead.
Listen for a few minutes to 'The Path' which opens and this piano trio recording led by pianist Greg Reitan eventually betrays a little of the influence of Brad Mehldau en passant.
But really the ''ur text'' for both Reitan and Mehldau and so many pianists the world over is Bill Evans, a primary influence on Mehldau particularly in the 1990s circa Brad's Art of the Trio classic period pre-Ballard when Jorge Rossy was in the band.
Bassist Jack Daro takes a solo daringly early on again on the same track - he's John Patitucci-like.
... shaped by A for Aaron Copland and Z for Earl Zindars
After the Reitan penned opener interestingly there's a tune by someone whose work you rarely hear nowadays - Earl Zindars (1927-2005) - a friend of Evans' who recorded his work - and Zindars piece 'My Love is an April Song' is the piece chosen.
Trio drummer Dean Koba comes more into his own on 'Summer Days' which enlivens its meandering nature a bit.
No sense of a paralysis in the analysis
Dave Brubeck Jazz Impressions of Japan piece 'Rising Sun' comes later. Reitan's own pieces, which are the majority and tasteful they prove, fit right into the Evans, Brubeck and Jarrett milieu.
The treatment of 'Love No 1' the Life Between The Exit Signs early Jarrett ballad is our overall pick.
Reitan (born in 1973) hails from Seattle. His records on Sunnyside include West 60th that also included a Copland piece and Post No Bills a decade ago.
Both these records found Reitan joined by Daro and Koba who go way back with the pianist to at least Some Other Time issued in 2009.
Quiet and reflective this isn't an album to get the party started mercifully given all the noise out there that provides that role in quantity. So, dear reader, The Bounding Line - because you're worth it.
Greg Reitan, photo: via Bandcamp
Comments