Since leaving his highly popular trio The Bad Plus, pianist Ethan Iverson has carved out a catalogue that may not be filling the larger concert halls that his band once did, but his musical creations are filling the ears with a much more musically dynamic sense that was palpable during his recent show at SamFirst Bar.
Teamed up with local all stars Darek Oles/b and Peter Erskine/dr, Iverson delivered an opening set of material that showed the history of jazz piano emanating from his fingers as well as his heart. His opening to “It’s Fine To Decline” was a bluesy tiptoeing use of space that would have made Count Basie proud in its economically minimalistic swing, completely relaxed around Erskine’s accents and tapping. There was a hint of Vince Guaraldi in the playfully upbeat “soundtrack looking for a TV” (as the pianist joked) on the cheerfully chiming “She Wont Forget Me” as Oles and Erskine snapped out a festive groove, while the three dug into the fun and baroque-ish bop of “That Was Interesting” as Erskine gave a workshop of drumming lyricism to close out the piece.
Understatedly elegant was Iverson over the drummer’s brushes on “Showdown”, while the high hat hummed around Iverson’s tapping into his inner Wynton Kellly on the sleek “David’s Blues” while he resonated and rollicked like Errol Garner around Erskine’s rumbling feature.
The suave samba of “Troubadour For Hire” included Jobim-like romanticism from the leader’s fingers, letting the evening calm down a bit before he popped the clutch and did a double fisted stride intro and delivery of “Evidence” that had his hands playing like a Harlem rent party for hire, and just where is his left hand going?!?
The sublime serenity prayer put to music had the evening close out with a hymn-like “The Way Things Are”, and while one could hear a dash of Iverson’s inspirations in his composing and playing, the heart of his music is in the joys of stride, which never seem to wear out their welcome or inspiration, even after 100 years of being the root of jazz piano.
Maybe next time he’ll bless us with some of his solo sonatas, the only complaint from an otherwise exquisite evening.
Upcoming shows at SamFirst include Devin Daniels 03/04, Ricardo Grilli 03/05 and Clay Jenkins 03/06-07