No
living pianist is better equipped to address the music of the iconic composer
George Gershwin than Ted Rosenthal, as is amply displayed on Rhapsody in
Gershwin, his 15th release as a leader. Fulfilling The New Yorker's description
as "a musician's musician who balances technique and taste,"
Rosenthal launches the proceedings with a kaleidoscopic trio arrangement of
Gershwin's enduring concerto Rhapsody In Blue, and continues with personalized
interpretations of seven enduring hits from Gershwin's canon.
The
treatments by Rosenthal and his impeccable trio (bassist Martin Wind, drummer
Tim Horner) further burnish his long-standing reputation as one of the leading
jazz pianists and improvisational conceptualists of his generation, as a jury
panel comprising Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Sir Roland Hanna and Roger
Kellaway affirmed in November 1988, when they named him winner of the second
annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition.
"The
'Rhapsody' trio arrangement was born of practical considerations,"
Rosenthal writes in the liner notes, explaining that he received an offer to
perform Rhapsody In Blue that did not include a sufficient budget for a full
orchestra. Intimate with the piece through frequent performances as a solo
pianist, with various symphony orchestras, and, most recently, with a Paul
Whiteman style jazz orchestra in a February 2014 concert at New York's Town
Hall celebrating Rhapsody's 90th anniversary, Rosenthal decided to take on the
challenge. Throughout the epic journey that is Rhapsody in Blue, he hews to the
original score, never losing sight of the melodies and motifs, "while
adding my own jazz improvisations in the cadenza sections" and postulating
an array of colors, moods and textures for the trio to navigate.
"What
was tricky, challenging and fun was to strike a balance between the notes that
Gershwin
wrote
and the new directions that we take it," Rosenthal says. "If you take
the jazz and the solos too far, you might start to lose the focus; if you just
play the piece, someone may say, 'Where's the jazz?' I've played Rhapsody in a
more historical context, with all the notes and nothing extra. But I'm a jazz
musician, and I prefer to do it with improvisation, which I think is natural.
In a way, I'm bringing a few worlds together with this recording."
On
Rhapsody In Gershwin, much as he did on the acclaimed 2010 Playscape album
Impromptu, on which he addressed a cohort of 19th century classical themes, and
last year's Wonderland, a far-flung recital of songs associated with the winter
holidays, Rosenthal references a broad range of jazz history and expression in
presenting the Gershwin tunes.
"One
thing I enjoy is taking a standard and finding my own way to present and play
it in the jazz trio context," Rosenthal says. An example is "Let's
Call The Whole Thing Off," on which he sets up a sly, witty, smoky
ambiance that mirrors the lyric and melody, creating simple cohesive phrases,
deploying a force-of-nature left hand, swinging deeply at a slow-medium,
adults-only tempo.
Tinges
of Monk infuse the introduction to "Fascinatin' Rhythm," before the
trio launches a brisk, multi-sectional treatment with various rhythmic twists
and turns. Rosenthal cites "a Bill Evans influence" on reharmonized
versions of "I Loves You Porgy" and "Someone To Watch Over
Me," and observes that "Strike Up The Band" and "Love
Walked In" are examples of his "derangements," on which he uses
"various rhythmic and harmonic approaches to personalize the song."
"Some
of my most important influences were pianists who had an historical and
wide-ranging approach," says Rosenthal, particularly emphasizing that
lessons during high school years with stride-to-avant maestro Jaki Byard
influenced his inclusive penchant for embracing the language and aesthetic
principles of jazz piano tradition while restating it in his own manner.
"With Jaki it was almost an absence of dogma. I was drawn to the idea of
being able to play many pianistic techniques. Whether playing stride or free, I
don't feel constrained in any way."
"Gershwin
is almost taken for granted, because he's such a staple of American
culture," says Rosenthal, 54, who himself stands only a degree or two of
separation from Roberts by dint of close proximity to hardcore stride
practitioners like Byard and Dick Hyman. "But he wrote both songs and
extended pieces, and he was a wizard-like pianist who could play his pieces all
night at a party to dazzle the party-goers, especially the ladies. When I think
about my musical identity, I'm also a pianist, composer and arranger."
After
graduating from Manhattan School of Music and receiving Bachelors and Masters
degrees in piano performance, Rosenthal spent the next decade gigging around
New York on freelance jobs with the likes of Phil Woods, Ron Carter, Mel Lewis,
Clark Terry, Grady Tate, and Lionel Hampton, among others. In 1992, the pianist
also joined Gerry Mulligan's Tentette and recorded three albums and performed
in major jazz festivals throughout the world with the band until Mulligan's
death in 1996. Rosenthal went on to perform as a sideman with artists including
Art Farmer, Jon Faddis, Randy Sandke, Ken Peplowski, Ann Hampton Callaway, and
more.
Despite
his extensive experience as a sideman, Rosenthal has released more than a dozen
albums as a leader. Most recently, the pianist released Wonderland (2013), and
Impromptu (2010), on which Rosenthal reimagined classical themes for a jazz
trio. Both albums, similar to Rhapsody in Gershwin, have strong influences and
homages but still exhibit Rosenthal's own attitude and approach: expressive,
creative, and sparkling.
Ted
Rosenthal's Rhapsody in Gershwin Album Release Performance:
May 14 /
Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola / New York, NY
Ted
Rosenthal · Rhapsody in Gershwin / Playscape
Recordings · Release Date: May 13, 2014
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