Noa Levy & Paul Edis Trio: Portrait In Evans | Michel Petrucciani: Kuumbwa
New (American) gal in town, San Francisco vocalist Noa Levy joins the trio of UK 2023 Parliamentary Award winning pianist Paul Edis with eminent reedman Alan Barnes added to three of the 10 tracks. All titles are associated with Bill Evans and have lyrics variously written by Edis, Carol Hall, Paul Lewis, Meredith d’Ambrosio, Noa Levy, Gene Lees, Roger Schore and Bob Dorough. These include Blue in Green, Very Early, Peri’s Scope and (inevitably?) Waltz For Debby.
The human voice (Levy’s) is the central feature of this (not entirely successful) experiment. She is quoted as saying that: ”There is an emotional openness in Bill’s compositions. Writing lyrics wasn’t about changing them – it was about stepping inside them.” She adds “We chose tunes composed by Bill at different stages in his musical and personal life… we’ve tried to ‘paint a portrait’ of Bill Evans the artist.”
Barford and Barnes are more successful in this self-imposed task than Levy. They blend with a responsive rhythm section, and on his three tracks – Only Child, Blue In Green and Time Remembered – Barnes anticipates and embellishes the proceedings with solos on clarinet, bass clarinet and alto sax. Peri’s Scope opens with a sprightly solo from Edis, followed by a clever finger-picking sequence by King and compelling breaks from Barford.
Unfortunately, Levy’s voice suffers partly from indistinct diction. On Peri’s Scope she sounds under rehearsed, but is more at ease with Nardis, where her scatting enables her to actually swing. Only Child is perhaps her strongest contribution to the ensemble. She also shines on Blue In Green, as does Barnes, on bass clarinet. Waltz For Debby and Turn Out The Stars are the most successful “interpretations” of tunes associated with Evans.
This is an ambitious album with Edis, Barnes, King and Barford in sterling form throughout. Levy is inconsistent but also shows promise. Unfortunately, the poorly packaged and presented CD totally lacks any information about the project and its participants.
Discography
Peri’s Scope; Only Child; Very Early; Blue In Green; Nardis; Waltz For Debby; Laurie; Time Remembered; We Will Meet Again; Turn Out The Stars (47.15)
Levy (v); Edis (p); Alan Barnes (as, cl, bcl); Adam King (b); Joel Barford (d). Red Gables Studio, London, 9-10 July 2024.
Dot Time Records DT9168
Michel Petrucciani: Kuumbwa
Fans of Petrucciani (include me very much in) will welcome this two-CD issue of a “live” recording of his trio (Dave Holland, bass and Eliot Zigmund, drums) performing at the Kuumbwa Jazz Centre in Santa Cruz, California on 17 May 1987. Yet again, we have Zev Feldman to thank for his diligent research in locating previously unknown recordings. As with all Elemental releases, it has an (18-page) illustrated booklet with copious and pertinent contributions from Feldman himself – including edited recollections and interviews with Petrucciani’s son Alexandre (whose own son Tim Jackson was a founder of the Jazz Centre), drummer Zigmund, and poet and jazz writer Thierry Peremarti.
These were early days for the diminutive and severely handicapped Petrucciani, but his daring, virtuosity and musical intelligence were already evident. Alexandre writes “I think my father’s greatest legacy is the love he shared with so many people. He always had something different to say – and on these particular tapes he plays alongside two legends, Dave Holland and Eliot Zigmund.” In conversation with Feldman, Zigmund observed “I think that what made Michel special was the way he put his heart into the music. He really put himself on the line, he never held back, and there was a real feeling of love and joy in his music.” Another commentator reflects that even in his early years “his playing was incredibly melodic, lyrical, and emotionally intense”. Every track on this newly unearthed buried treasure confirms these judgments.
The concert in Santa Cruz featured such “standards” as Stella By Starlight, Autumn Leaves, My Funny Valentine, All The Things You Are and Someday My Prince Will Come. His own compositions included Eugene, The Prayer and Morning Blues. Holland and Sigmund (introduced to the audience by Michel) provided superb backings and content to these stellar performances. Listen, enjoy and wonder.
Discography
CD1: Limbo; Eugenia; Mike P. Blues; Stella By Starlight; The Prayer; Autumn Leaves (56.25)
CD2: My Funny Valentine; All The Things You Are Morning Blues; Nardis; Sweet Georgia Bright; Someday My Prince Will Come (57.47)
Petrucciani (p); Dave Holland (b), Eliot Zigmund (d). Kuumbwa Jazz Centre, Santa Cruz, Florida, 11 May 1987.
Elemental 5990459
