Bill Bennett
Bill’s Contributions
January/February 2002 Trioism
Paradox
LeeAnn Ledgerwood
LeeAnn Ledgerwood believes that her life changed when, at age 11, she first heard a Bill Evans recording. She dedicates Paradox (SteepleChase SCCD 31497; 64:45), her fifth release as leader, to Evans. That gesture seems fitting: she has a full conception...
January/February 2002 Trioism
Know More
Andy LaVerne
The trio provides a haven for many of the music's creativity addicts, among whom we are sure to find Andy LaVerne. His latest work, Know More (SteepleChase SCCD 31493; 66:36), is by turns thoughtful, thunderous, sly, touching. LaVerne wrings all one can...
January/February 2002 Trioism
Eldar
Eldar Djangirov
Eldar (D&D DDT 2001; 58:38) is not strictly piano trio, since a few tracks are solo piano. But let's cut Eldar Djangirov some slack: he's just a kid, after all. That said, he's a pretty fine pianist for a 14-year-old. No, really. Granted, he has some growing...
January/February 2002 Trioism
Reminiscing
Jodie Christian Trio
There is a wonderful clarity to Reminiscing (Delmark DE-531; 59:22), from the Jodie Christian trio. Christian, a virtual institution in Chicago, has assembled a program of tunes that tie back to specific memories of his career and childhood. At times the...
January/February 2002 Trioism
Live
Jim Ridl Trio
It doesn't sound as if there were too many in the audience when the Jim Ridl trio recorded Live (Dreambox DMJ-1055; 66:02). That's a shame, because those who came out two years ago heard a very hard-working trio deliver a satisfying performance. Ridl's style...
January/February 2002 Trioism
Summer Night
Sarah Jane Cion
Summer Night (Naxos Jazz 86071-2; 50:38) finds Sarah Jane Cion in very good company, with bassist Phil Palombi and this column's recurring drummer, Billy Hart. There is a formal elegance to Cion's playing that gives these performances an engaging smoothness...
January/February 2002 Trioism
Cole After Midnight
Marcus Roberts Trio
Cole After Midnight (Columbia CK 69781: 65:23) finds the Marcus Roberts trio essaying music of Cole Porter and Nat Cole. The accent here is much more on "mood" than "move," with a concomitant emphasis on Nat Cole the singer, rather than his trio work-and...
January/February 2002 Trioism
Tiny Capers
Jon Hazilla Trio
Tiny Capers (Double Time DTRCD-180; 49:51), by the drummer-led Jon Hazilla trio, features pianist Bruce Barth and bassist John Lockwood. This is a deceptively amiable session. It all flows so smoothly, as Barth laces his solos with one subversive idea after...
January/February 2002 Trioism
Haunted Heart and Other Ballads
Marc Copland Trio
Three apprehensive reharmonizations of "My Favorite Things" are a moody thread running through Haunted Heart and Other Ballads (hatOLOGY 581; 65:55) by the Marc Copland trio. Against this backdrop, Copland goes on to play with the shadows, casting elating...
December 2001 Albums
2 x 3 = 5
Evan Parker/Alex von Schlippenbach/Barry Guy/Paul Lovens/Paul Lytton
British saxophonist Evan Parker has been mining free improvisation for a long time, as have the various participants on these two recordings, which comprise more than four hours of music. The players' experience and ease with the idioms of free improvisation...
11/06/01 Concerts
San Francisco Jazz Festival 2001
The late columnist Herb Caen often referred to San Francisco as "Baghdad by the Bay," a tribute to the variety and accessibility of the city's many attractions. This year's edition of the San Francisco Jazz Festival, with the range and depth of its program...
September 2001 Albums
Live at the Dakota
Von Freeman
Time was when Chico Freeman was known as Von Freeman's son-and rightly so. Von's attitude toward music, his open ears, his sense of the tenor saxophone-more than his style, these were the gifts he bestowed on his son. A sampling of that spirit is on display...
06/10/01 Concerts
Charlie Haden's Nocturne
Through bassist Charlie Haden's long and illustrious career, concepts such as "freedom" and "liberation" seem to turn up repeatedly. His role in the evolution of free jazz with Ornette Coleman's quartet has been well documented, and his own recordings with...
05/18/01 Concerts
Julian Priester Benefit
Trombonist Julian Priester's contributions and collaborations to and within the world of jazz have earned him not just the respect and admiration, but also the affection of those he has touched along the way. And so there was a sense of relief and celebration...
January/February 2001 Albums
Revelations: Repertoire Rarities 1940-1978
Stan Kenton
There has always been much to admire in and learn from the Kenton orchestra, and Revelations does a great job of presenting the band's creative evolution. Working largely from airshots and live recordings, the producers have worked hard to capture the character...
January/February 2001 Albums
Kenton a la Russo: Live at the Jazz Showcase
Chicago Jazz Ensemble
Bill Russo was a prodigious force in the Kenton band in the early '50s: as chief arranger, he had a significant impact on the sound of the band and on a generation of big-band arrangers. In founding the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, he made himself a large band...
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