There aren’t many mainstream jazz pianists around anymore; they all seem to have gone to either the dark side of dissonance or to meditative navel gazing. Bill Charlap with his long time trio of Peter Washington/b and Kenny Washington/dr keep the torch alive like Philippides on a marathon run, demonstrating Friday night at the filled Catalina jazz club that there is still room at the inn for class and style to create swing.
Looking and dressed like your tax accountant, but playing like he lived next door to Bud Powell, Charlap started things off with material from his recent and richly colored album Notes From New York. Tasteful and elegant swingers like “I’ll Remember April” featured Charlap’s patented sleek solos and full rich chords, while “All Through The Night” had his fingers prance and prowl so quickly along with Washington’s deft brush work that the title might have been affected by daylight savings time.
Charlap made each note count on a dreamy and pastoral “It’s Only A Paper Moon,” wringing out each tone like water from a damp dish rag as Washington adroitly placed each bass note and line with a proper dash like an oil painter doing touch up.
Not your typical Mow, Blow and Go team, Charlap and company carefully laid out pieces like “Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” with rich arrangements with exciting segues and side bars. Charlap’s solo intro to this piece had him stride right up to a kinetic entrance by Washington’s drum as the trio caromed along the deft ride cymbal and pulsed bass. Washington’s rapidly throbbing strings on the high octane “Rocker” had the highest butanes of all, cascading over the waterfall of a deft and gracious take of “Sophisticated Lady” that can only be accomplished by a years of symbiotic interplay.
Charlap’s crystalline solo on “I Was Born To Love You” wafted into a supple “Too Late Now,” just in time for the team to pop the clutch into overdrive for a joyfully sizzled “Groovin’ High.” The mix of spontaneity, dept of thought and visceral swing made for a rich palate of delight on this filling feast of jazz at its apotheosis, showing that “mainstream” is where the exciting currents of Class V waters flow best.
Upcoming shows at Catalina’s include Brian Bromberg May 13-14 and Poncho Sanchez May 20-21