Covered in recent years by Clare Teal with the late Pee Wee Ellis, the Hoagy Carmichael standard 'I Get Along Without You Very Well' had its salad days in the late-1930s where you will find the gently unfurling melody in the space of the same doom-laden year that the second world war broke out on versions by Red Norvo, Jimmy Dorsey, Adelaide Hall and Charlie Barnet. Chet Baker made the song his own in the 50s. Englishman in New York double bassist Mark Lewandowski on his new trio album Under One Sky is with pianist Addison Frei and drummer Kush Abadey and in their hands the song as instrumental becomes succinctly 'Very Well' and is the obvious highlight of Under One Sky. (There are no issuing label details for the record so far.) To extrapolate that concision serves him well throughout, two pieces are dedicated to progressive masters: explicity Paul Bley and Andrew Hill, also a fine aspect of an album that has a sure sense of direction. Hugely melodic without being at all cheesy or obvious there is a real understanding of the shape and mood of each piece contained on the album.
Lewandowski, marlbank recalls from hearing him play with Bobby Wellins a couple of years before the Scottish jazz icon passed away, is a fine player. Think the tonal excellence of Chris Laurence or Alec Dankworth perhaps for an inkling of an approach towards his sound. Abadey was on another expat English bassist Orlando Le Fleming's Romantic Funk last year serendipitously. But new to me, although definitely reminiscent of the sound of Liam Noble when that fine pianist plays standards not avant, is Frei. Even within the tight structures and sleek lines of all the pieces there is enough room for freedom to explore in the Lewandowski trio's hands, this must-hear new album released four years on from Waller. SG. Mark Lewandowski, above
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