A Jazz Masterwork
charles freeman | purdys, new york United States | 07/15/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Pianist Andy LaVerne must be one of the most prolific of contemporary jazz composers. He is certainly among the most gifted. Many of us became fans when we heard his tunes "Sabra" and "Chappaqua" written for Stan Getz when Andy was a member of Stan's quartet of the late 1970s. A collection of original compositions, the "Process of Illumination" CD demonstrates that twenty-five years later Andy is producing work of even greater richness.
One is struck by the variety of moods of the twelve tunes on this recording. On the one hand, there are several intense medium and up tempo quartet burners as "Walking on the Moon," "There is No There There," "Subject to Change," and the album's title tune. On the other hand, another quartet tune, "Anticipointment," is a study in harmonic color over a Latin pulse. Despite the subtle irony of its title, "Good Luck With Your Music," performed by the trio, has a sunny optimism and a melody you'll find yourself humming. The gorgeous trio ballad "Gone Forever" with its bittersweet melody and wonderful inner voice movement has a darker cast. (No irony here!) "Subject to Change" begins slowly with a yearning melodic line that rises and falls with gathering intensity and follows with improvisations of similarly shifting emotions. "Bilbao" with its catchy melodic line offers another platform for outstanding solos by Andy and Gary Campbell. The lilting waltz "A Loan to Gather" evokes thoughts of Bill Evans, Earl Zindars, and Frederic Chopin. A special treat is "Shania," (a John Lennon songwriting contest award winner) featuring a vocal performance by Kevin Mahogany and compositional hooks worthy of a pop tune. The album closes with "Remembered Time / Before We Go," a solo piano conversation with Andy's teacher and friend, Bill Evans. The composition begins and ends with a line Bill Evans played on his tune "Time Remembered." Inside this frame Andy inserts his own pensive improvisation on his tune "Before We Go."
I must say something about the outstanding playing on this album. Andy is a pianist of breathtaking virtuosity. His lines sparkle and dance, effortlessly moving over bar lines with shifting rhythmic emphasis. At times his touch is chiffon; at others molton lava. Gary Campbell is a perfect interpreter of the shifting moods of Andy's compositions. Gary has mastered the vocabulary of modern tenor sax playing with a tone that has a burnished beauty all his own. And who could be a better choice for the percussion chair than the incredible Danny Gottlieb? His work with bassist Mark Neuenschwander and percussionist Beth Gottlieb is nothing short of perfect here.
Finally, one must put in a plug for Amazon. It may be difficult to find this CD in your local media store. You really should check out this incredible piece of work, and since you've already logged on to Amazon's web site, why don't you put it in your shopping basket right now."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
