There are certain images that come to your mind when you reflect on various pianists. With Oscar Peterson, there’s fervent swing; Cecil Taylor flashes wild experimentation while McCoy Tyner evokes intense penetration. The hour and a half solo performance by pianist Alan Broadbent cemented his reputation as one of the greatest living purveyors of elegance and style, as he wrapped the packed Kirk Douglas Theatre around his expressive fingers while they tastefully delivered both swing and class.
Opening with an luxurious impromptu piece (“I call it ‘Groping My Way Through the Blues”), he delved into a trio of Billy Strayhorn tunes that had his left hand going 8 to the bar on a flowing and peppy “UMMG,” then brooding on the melancholy and rococo “Chelsea Bridge” before finishing with a Bud Powell set of carpals bopping on a fun and winsome “Take the ‘A’ Train.” In a tribute to the theatre’s namesake, Broadbent produced a thoughtful theme from the Douglas film “The Bad and the Beautiful” with the theme having the pianist using his hands using every inch of the keyboard, from hands spread apart, to close and intimate to eventually crossing over.
The distinct advantage of hearing a pianist like Broadbent in a solo performance is that it makes appreciating his sophisticated nuances a bit easier. For instance, on Ornette Coleman’s dark and shadowy “Lonely Woman,” he let his left hand produced the brooding melody while his right hand produced the chords and rhythms before switching back to the more orthodox style, and then on the fiendishly playful “Oleo” he changed speeds and directions like a closing reliever in the ninth, using one then both hands to play the melody, sometimes in sync and other times like a knuckleball, floating just out of reach. Closing with a laconically lilting “I Wish I Knew,” Broadbent summarized his approach to the 88 keys with the title of his encore piece, “In Your Own Sweet Way.” Music that swings this elegantly is a rare treat in this era of mindless and cacophonous technique with nothing to say.
Upcoming shows sponsored by the Jazz Bakery include the NEA Jazz Master Series with concerts by ron Carter, Toshiko Akiyoshi and Kenny Barron! Stay tuned.
