Georgia Mancio & Alan Broadbent A Story Left Untold

This intimate live program pairs two Lennie Tristano disciples: Lee Konitz, in his eighth decade and at the height of his powers, and the distinctive, calmly extraordinary pianist Alan Broadbent. The clarity and expressiveness of these performances from the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles make it difficult to accept this was the duo's first time playing together. In working out how best to interact with Konitz, Broadbent found that less is more. Supporting Konitz with supple, swinging, spacious structures, he frees the saxophonist to create and explore. Liberated, Konitz gives himself over to the flow of his ideas and impulses, his sound and phrasing natural, unforced. Not that Broadbent is confined to the supporting role; he and Konitz each have considerable space for unaccompanied playing, joint extemporizing, and situations where the lead moves in subtle shifts between the two.

Since gaining fame as a member of Charlie Haden's excellent Quartet West, Alan Broadbent has seen his own catalog rise in stature. A welcome development, since a wider audience should check out the many fine recordings this unique pianist/composer/arranger has made. And in spite of the admission that his highly lyrical bent and soft touch come out of the work of Bill Evans, Red Garland, and Nat "King" Cole, among others, Broadbent is able to produce fresh solo conceptions and plenty of original material of his own. In fact, as the title implies, Personal Standards consists almost entirely of self-penned cuts, save for one by bassist Putter Smith. (This seamless piano trio is rounded out by drummer Joe LaBarbera.) Along with material also heard on various Quartet West recordings like "The Long Goodbye" and "Song of Home," the disc features a nice mix of ballads ("Ballad Impromptu"), mid- to up-tempo swingers ("Consolation"), as well as some blues ("Uncertain Terms").

"An unsung hero of the acoustic piano, Alan Broadbent is a highly lyrical and melodic bebopper/post-bopper who has cited Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Tommy Flanagan, Nat "King" Cole, and Red Garland as some of his favorite pianists. Raised in New Zealand, he moved to Boston in 1966 to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. After staying on the road with Woody Herman (for whom he was a writer, arranger, and soloist) from 1969-1972, he settled in Los Angeles. Broadbent went on to work as a sideman for Chet Baker, tenor saxmen Warne Marsh and Gary Foster, and the late singer Irene Kral in the '70s, and with Bud Shank and arranger Nelson Riddle in the '80s. The '90s found him writing arrangements for Natalie Cole, Marian McPartland, Scott Hamilton, and others, and playing alongside bassist Charlie Haden, tenor saxman Ernie Watts, and drummer Larance Marable in Haden's Quartet West — a unique and conceptual L.A.-based group that is known for including bits of dialogue from film-noir movies between bop performances. Broadbent's excellent trio albums for Discovery in the '80s and Concord in the '90s make it clear that he deserves to be much better known as a soloist. "

Alex Henderson

Alan Broadbent is one of New Zealand's favorite musical sons and perhaps the most well-known and multi-talented of them all. Many are familiar with his arranging and conducting for Sir Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, Pat Metheny and Michael Bublé. Others may know Broadbent has received 8 Grammy nominations and won 2 Grammy Awards for Best Orchestral Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal, one for Natalie Cole and one for Shirley Horn. On Like Minds, Broadbent takes a seat on the piano bench for his third Savant recording with his trio featuring the great bassist Harvie S and the colorful drumming of Billy Mintz.

The Alan Broadbent Trio's previous Savant release, New York Notes (SCD 2166), received rave reviews in the international press. The Guardian (UK) wrote, "The bubbling stream of notes is both unpredictable and inevitable, and following it's twists and turns is a joy." Couleurs Jazz (France) proclaimed, "Behold! A precious gem of a jazz recording." "Trio in Motion" finds Broadbent, Billy Mintz and Harvie S reunited in the pianist's New York apartment-studio recording music that is spontaneous, surprising, possessing a sly humor and emotionally involving. Broadbent received two Grammy awards and has collaborated with Natalie Cole (Unforgettable), Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, Diana Krall and Paul McCartney. Each tune on the setlist is imbued with a warm intimacy and the refreshing, slightly piquant glow of intensity which warms both the listener's heart and mind.

On More Live-Lee, saxophonist Lee Konitz is joined for an intriguingly spare set with pianist Alan Broadbent. This atypical setting allows for subtle interplay and the type of quiet nuances impossible in larger settings. The duo allow "Body and Soul" to drift at a lazy pace as Konitz's horn weaves slow, lovely lines and Broadbent adds tasteful, though minimal, flourishes. There are a couple other nice stabs at classic material, including an eight-minute take on "I Can't Get Started" and a seven-minute version of "How Deep Is the Ocean?" These two players even manage to inject a bit of pizzazz into a warhorse like "You Go to My Head." Several of these pieces, however, have been written by Konitz and have a decidedly more contemporary feel.