Here are a couple of solo piano projects by gents known for playing the keys in a different manner. Nice slight of hand!
I’m already excited that this session is labeled “Volume 1,” as it promises more to come. Neil Alexander is better known for synthesizer and electric keyboard work with his groups NAIL, The Mahavishnu Project and The
Machine, not exactly bastions of acoustic interplay. Here, left to his lonesome he single handedly takes the piano through some of his own compositions and some covers and emerges as an intriguing acoustic piano in his own right.
There are hints of Jarrett and more than a dash of Tatum to his approach to notes, runs and fill ins, but his touch is all his own. He’s got an assertive and bright pair of hands, and is able to go from tensile forte to delicate pianissimo without a hitch in his get-along. Material like his own “A Question of Energy” and “Stop For A Moment” have exciting changes of dynamics and moods, with some penetratingly hectic moments in the latter. He can be romantic and Lisztian on “A Whisper of Angels” and on Pat Metheny’s “Sirabhorn” he takes exciting leaps up and down dramatic peaks and valleys like John Muir. His treatment of standards like the title track (two versions) and “My Foolish Heart” reveal a crystalline handling of the ivories that spotlights an excitement about each note. Like this guy a lot!
Better known for his work with Medeski Martin and Wood, keyboardist John Medeski literally pulls out all of the plugs and puts together his first solo album. It’s quite an intimate affair, with the mood leaning heavily towards the introspective and ruminative. He has a bit of a Debussyesque touch here and there, with an affinity for the higher notes on pieces like Willie Nelson’s “I’m Falling In Love Again” and the title track. A couple of tender improvisations flow in a melancholy mood with “Graveyard Fields” and “Lacrima” while the spiritual “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” seems to bring out a part of the artist that hasn’t been tapped before. Much more thoughtful than you’d expect. A warm surprise.
PDOG Records
Okeh Label
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