Only the lonely…
Pianist Laszlo Gardony gives a rich solo recital at Berklee’s 2019 Keys Fest piano festival with these eight songs recorded in order performance. His compositions are warm and reflective, with his hands displaying a wide stride on “Revolution” and swinging with dexterity for “O Sole Mio” arranged for jazz instead of Naples. His classical tones come out on the dramatic “Four Notes Given” while he’s full fisted and frisky on “Bourbon Street Boogie.” His interpretation of Denny Zeitlin’s “Quiet Now” is a studied work of textural sounds, while he hits the high notes with melodic precision for Erroll Garner’s classic “Misty.” Well versed and well rounded.
Pianist Derel Monteith shows taste and class on these five improvisations. His touch is warm and reflective, using space like Monet on the reflective “Dovecote” and the providing cheerful pulses of chords for “Rise & Repeat.” A folkish “Where Old Men Gather” has a traditional feel, whereas he displays a classical touch on his patterned “Rainbow Symphony Revisited.” The title track is an assertive work of the digits always guided forward towards new lands. Everything here is melodic, logical and invigorating.
Trombonist Ed Neumeister goes it alone, and it works better than you fear. He creates a large echo sound with his horn as he multi-tracks on “One and Only” and uses his breath as a sound for the butter warm “Monk Suite.” His use of plunger mute squeezes out tones on Duke Ellington’s “Chelsea Bridge” to great effect, growling on “Rust Belt” and as warm as Red River Valley on Ellington’s “The Single Pedal of a Rose.” Neumeister slides safely home.