New York 29

For their third and certainly best record the classically inspired New York Rock And Roll Ensemble recruited Greek composer and songwriter Manos Hadjidakis. The resulting Reflections plays like a film score–not surprisingly, given Hadjidakis's experience as a composer of just such works–with epic instrumental sweeps and passages of quiet melancholy. Many of the tracks, such as "Orpheus," "The Day," and "Kemal," incorporate the folk melodies of Hadjidakis's homeland while maintaining a baroque psychedelic touch.

A wonderful gift for jazz fans has arrived from Venus Records! Nobody argues that Bill Charlap is one of the most preeminent jazz pianists of his generation. His encyclopedic knowledge of the American Songbook is second to none, and his beautiful touch, amazing skills and imagination make it a pleasure to listen to him at all times. Ken Peplowski, on the other hand, is without a doubt one of the best clarinet and tenor sax players in the swing tradition. Each of them had recorded a number of albums for Venus Records of Japan separately - Charlap with his great New York Trio (with Jay Leonhart and Bill Stewart) and Peplowski with his own quartet and the Eddie Higgins Quintet. Now, wouldn't it be nice to put them together in a studio and make an album? Yes, it would, and they actually did it…

The New York Trio consists of pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Bill Stewart, though it exists solely as a studio band for the Japanese label Venus, as Charlap's regular trio includes Peter Washington and Kenny Washington. Even though this band only meets occasionally in the studio to record yet another release in their prolific series for the Japanese jazz market, there is plenty of chemistry between the three veterans, while the nine songs from the vast Cole Porter songbook were likely to have been a part of each musician's repertoire long before these 2005 sessions. Charlap's lyrical piano style is quite effective, capturing the nuances of Porter's humor (even though none of his lyrics are heard), while the rhythm section gels nicely with the pianist. Highlights include a jaunty "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," a dreamy "Begin the Beguine," and a snappy "From This Moment On."

Also known as the New York Jazz Trio, this combo is a studio-only group who specialize in recording classic standards in a straightforward, post-bop style. The New York Trio features three gifted musicians who are firmly established on the East Coast jazz scene. Pianist Bill Charlap is a member of the Phil Woods Quintet, has accompanied the likes of Tony Bennett, Benny Carter, and Gerry Mulligan, and has recorded a handful of well-received albums for Blue Note as a bandleader. Bassist Jay Leonhart has recorded as a headliner since 1983, while also making a name for himself as a vocalist and songwriter as well as backing up Marian McPartland, Louie Bellson, Lee Konitz, and many others…

The New York Trio, consisting of pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Bill Stewart, have created quite a stir in Japan, as they have entered the studio regularly to record for the Japanese Venus Jazz label at the start of the 21st century. Their sixth CD for the label, Thou Swell draws from the songbook of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, a composer/lyricist combo who wrote many songs that became standards. As a result, a number of these songs have been frequently recorded by jazz musicians and seem in danger of overexposure. But Charlap is a thoughtful arranger, playing "My Funny Valentine" complete with the usually omitted verse that sets up the song while playing it at a very deliberate tempo, resulting in a stunningly different take…

In the dawn of the 21st century, pianist Bill Charlap took the jazz world by storm with a series of rewarding albums for labels both in the U.S. and abroad. On Blues in the Night, he leads his New York Trio in a recording made for the Japanese label Venus, with veteran bassist Jay Leonhart and fellow young gun Bill Stewart joining him. Right away Charlap signals that he can take an old chestnut into a new direction. His stretched-out, blues-drenched "Blues in the Night" makes effective use of space and showcases his sidemen as well. Leonhart's buoyant bassline brings to mind the late Milt Hinton in the brisk rendition of "I Could Have Danced All Night." Charlap's intense workout of "Blue Skies" is a virtual jazz history lesson, showing the influence of a number of legendary pianists, while achieving a sound distinctly his own…

The relaxed tone of this CD is set from the beginning, with Bill Charlap's quiet, spare solo reading of "The Shadow of Your Smile." On the next track, the others join in for some mellow and friendly swinging: Jay Leonhart's big, fat bass grounds Charlap's dreaminess, while Bill Stewart, who's left his sticks at home for this date, brushes up the tempo with subtlety and style. This release offers thoughtful solo piano (also on "Mona Lisa"), slow, romantic ballads ("How Long Has This Been Going On," "Paper Moon"), and tasty mid-tempo treatments ("As Time Goes By," "When Your Lover Has Gone"). While there are no barnburners, the heat rises to a steady simmer on "You'd Be So Nice…" and "How High the Moon," where the players are audibly enjoying themselves…

The vast Duke Ellington songbook is always ripe for exploration, and the New York Trio, featuring pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Bill Stewart, is up to the task. The gorgeous ballad "The Star Crossed Lovers" is in good hands, as Charlap gently examines the facets of this gem, accompanied by Leonhart's spacious basslines and Stewart's whispering brushes. The brisk run through "Love You Madly" is transformed into an extended workout instead of the brief versions typically played by its composer. Charlap's bluesy gospel introduction to "I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So" will turn a few heads. Even though there's nothing new about tackling "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" at a racehorse tempo, this trio's intricate workout is a bit more abstract than most recordings. Charlap's jaunty treatment of "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" suggests its composer's stride piano roots.

The New York Jazz Quartet, an excellent though overlooked band which was active in the 1970s and 1980s, is heard live at Jazzclub Domicile in Munich on this album. Pianist Roland Hanna, the founder of the group, is accompanied by tenor saxophonist Frank Wess, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Grady Tate, who had just replaced Richard Pratt. Aside from an extended workout of Miles Davis' "All Blues," which centers on Wess' soulful tenor sax, the remainder of this performance consists of originals each by Hanna or Mraz. The pianist's exciting "Rodney Round Robin," which he had debuted only two years earlier while recording a studio date under Red Rodney's leadership, contrasts strikingly with his dark, funky "Smelly Jelly Belly"…

With ensemble vocal jazz, the danger is always that tight and complex harmony writing will come across as too smooth and too sweet – for some reason, chords that sound sharp and bracing when distributed among reed instruments can sound cloying and overly slick when sung by human voices. The vocal/instrumental quartet New York Voices don't avoid that trap entirely on their latest album (and their first as an ensemble in seven years), but they continue to demonstrate their mastery of the genre with a solid program of new and old songs and innovative arrangements. Their take on "Darn That Dream" is startlingly new (and features a fine bass clarinet solo by Bob Mintzer), and the lyrics that group members added to John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" work very nicely. Not everyone will agree that the world needed a vocal jazz version of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic," but the New York Voices' version is really lots of fun and is sure to bring a nostalgic tear to more than one baby-boomer eye. Apart from a couple of saccharine moments on "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," A Day Like This is a pleasure from start to finish. Recommended.