Trading old dreams for new the Bill Charlap trio are ready Street's ahead

''Dreams broken in two can be made like new'': No pianist since Ralph Sharon and Bill Evans understands Tony Bennett as well as Bill Charlap. You will know that if you appreciated 2015's The Silver Lining and we are looking at a silver lining …

Published: 1 Oct 2021. Updated: 2 years.

''Dreams broken in two can be made like new'': No pianist since Ralph Sharon and Bill Evans understands Tony Bennett as well as Bill Charlap. You will know that if you appreciated 2015's The Silver Lining and we are looking at a silver lining lifting us higher with news that will cheer fans of the piano trio as an entity let alone Charlap that Street of Dreams is imminent, Charlap with his hugely seasoned trio of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, both with Charlap on The Silver Lining.

Introducing next month's release is Charlap's elegantly swinging version of Brubeck's paean to Duke Ellington 'The Duke' which is the album's opener.

Savour the other titles: Day Dream, You’re All The World To Me, I’ll Know (from Guys and Dolls), Your Host, Out Of Nowhere, What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? And then last but of course not least there's the Victor Young and Samuel M. Lewis song 'Street Of Dreams' the title track that completes the album to be issued by the greatest jazz label of all, Blue Note, as Charlap comes home once again.

'Street of Dreams' was first recorded by Russ Columbo and His Orchestra and released in 1932 seven years before Blue Note started in the record business by putting out boogie-woogie. Bing Crosby sang the song, the lyrics of which luminously ring out to coo ''Dreams broken in two can be made like new'' in 1933, Lee Wiley in the 1940s, Jimmy Scott, Peggy Lee and Johnny Mathis in the 50s and in a 1961 release, yes, the man himself, Tony Bennett on Tony Sings For Two. SG. Bill Charlap, photo: Keith Major/Blue Note

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Mark Lewandowski, Under One Sky ****

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 …

Published: 1 Oct 2021. Updated: 2 years.

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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.

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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