Jazz Quanta March — Five Pianos

Jazz Quanta March — Five Pianos: Marc Copland, Bill Stewart, Julian Shore, Bob Wijnen, Pablo Held

By C. MICHAEL BAILEY

Published: March 3, 2016

Pianist Marc Copland composes with a certain use of darkness, an updated musical version of Caravaggio's use of chiaroscuro in painting. Copland is aided in his alchemic light-shifting by his regular bassist Drew Gress and drummer Joey Baron. Joining the trio is trumpeter Ralph Alessi, who is given plenty of room to investigate some brass dynamics. On "Sun at the Zenith" Alessi's horn sounds like the cross between a flute and trombone, it is eerie. He shifts faintly to Miles Davis on Duke Ellington's "Mystery Song," enweaving elements of "Freddie Freeloader" and "So What." The lengthy, three-part suite "Air We've Never Breathed" shows Copland's evolution between light and dark matters. It is soundtrack music, the soundtrack of restfulness and thoughtfulness, lying somewhere between being and being content. Effortlessly ambient without the pretentious trappings of new age, Copland's Zenith is a quiet wayside where to count the time in quarter-tones to ten.

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Julian Shore: Filaments

By DAVE WAYNE, Published: June 2, 2013

There is nothing wrong with mellow jazz. As long as distance can be maintained from the hackneyed, dialed-in feel of smooth jazz, it can be a refreshing change of pace from the intensity and analytical focus of a lot of modern art music, jazz or otherwise. Listening to pianist Julian Shore's Filaments, there's the sense that he set out to craft music easy on the ears without compromising any of his personal artistic values. The opening "Grey Light, Green Lily" sets the tone for the entire album, its gently chiming, misty piano harmonies, wordless vocals andKurt Rosenwinkel's yearning guitar solo combine to form a moody, atmospheric sound reminiscent of mid-1980s Pat Metheny Group. Other reference points would be Brian Blade's Fellowship Band and Jeremy Udden's Plainville—bucolic, easygoing jazz that makes no bones about its pop and folk influences.

Vocals figure prominently throughout Filaments. Several tunes feature the voices in the front line singing, horn-like and wordlessly, a strategy that works extremely well for Shore's lilting, carefree melodies. The up-tempo waltz, "Big Bad World," benefits hugely from this approach, and the ensuing dialogue between Shore and Rosenwinkel is one of the album's highlights. "Made Very Small," "Whisper" and "Misdirection / Determined" have lyrics sung by their author, Alexa Barchini, the words perfectly capturing the moody, vaguely emotional aspect of the music. Barchini sings them in a pop- jazz style not dissimilar to that of Norah Jones or Sia Furler. Her voice is close-miked, soft and intimate, and conveys the feeling that she's sharing a secret that is just beyond one's grasp. "Whisper (reprise)" subs a slinky swaying dobro for the femme vocals— a whimsical touch.

Filaments features playing that is both subtle and strong. Drummer Tommy Chase has an easy-flowing yet hard-driving feel, and his awareness of subtle shading and coloration really make Shore's pieces come alive. Shore's piano playing—most prominent on the trio track "I Will If You Will"—is understated yet commanding; eloquent, in a style similar to pianist Bill Evans or, perhaps,Brad Mehldau.

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