I’d heard good things about a new club opening up in Paso Robles, about a 2 ½ hours up north, called Libretto, so decided to check it out. Besides, I hadn’t seen pianist Taylor Eigsti in years, having followed his career since his impressive debut album on Concord about 15 years ago (to which he humbly joked during the set, “only my last three albums don’t suck!”). So, consider this a review of the band and the venue.
Of the latter, Libretto not only has the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in for a jazz club (‘when does the movie start?’), but the best ambient light by far. None of those obnoxious LED lights that make everyone look like something from Roswell on stage. The sound system is immaculate, begging for every gig to be recorded (of which some have been). And did I mention there’s NO DRINK MINIMUM and FREE PARKING? Why are you not heading up here?!?
As for the music, band’s like pianist Taylor Eigsti and his team of drummer Jason Lewis and bassist Matt Brewer were bred for places like this, as you could hear all of the dynamics of their nuance and interplay. While Eigsti did play a couple of tunes from his impressive latest release Plot Armor, most of the evening was filled with clever reads of standards. And who would have known that this was the first time Lewis and Brewer played together? They sounded as in sync as Motian/La Faro or Johnson/La Barbera from vintage years of Bill Evans’ trio.
And the comparison for legendary threesome fit, as Eigsti has in his digits that same blend of harmonic sophistication and elastic swing, satisfying equally the head and heart. His ivories chimed with a lithe rhapsodic feel on Herbie Hancock’s “I Have A Dream” with Lewis’s deft sticks guiding the directions , while Brewer’s solo intro to “Love For Sale” led the way to an avalanche of a dramatic buildup. Lewis’ sticks were crisp and sharp under Eigsti’s rollicking chords on the tango-ish gallop of “Hutcheonite” before the leader gave a solemn into to the reflective “Search For Peace” with a use of space and light, reminiscent of a Monet masterpiece.
Eigsti’s own ‘Tree Falls” had longing and lyrical moments, begging for actual lyrics, s his own “Light Dream” floated with impressionism, with the Wayne Shorter tribute giving hints of the classic “Nefertiti”. His personal take of the standard “Montara” had a mellow R&B feel, as the leader double fisted the climax around his little rococo flairs. A bluesy read of “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” was long on dark hues, setting the stage for a mix of ivory tapping and piano string plucking to create a Lisztian trio for a frenzied and rollicking read of “Caravan” that closed the night with a stampede.
Classic piano trio in a classic setting. Who said times are tough?
Upcoming shows at Libretto include Scott Martin 09/27, Miro Sprague 09/28, Band of Pulses 10/03, Songa Lee 10/04, Matt Rollings 10/05 and John Proulx 01/11