Michiel Borstlap
Gramercy Park

Good: some time ago, while browsing E-bay and focusing on Jayandmarie who sell the so-called "one cent CDs" and having developed a certain knack for good music, I felt like taking a risk and offering up to 6 dollars for this TRIPLE (!!!) CD by the illustrious unknown. Still, I seemed to hear this name echoing in my ears: maybe from an old review read on Musica Jazz or from some nighttime nightmare following an evening calabrese soppressata with explosive caponata. Explanation for the rationalization of the capital risked: if someone offers him to make even a triple, it must be something at least decent, right? Well: I won it for the fabulous price of 4 dollars (plus a couple for the S&H fees) and it arrived.

"Technical-aesthetic semi-serious" consideration on the product: the triple CD is in a shiny cardboard packaging absolutely modern, with photos in a dull reddish tint and an autumnal-global-international idea (what am I saying? Dunno? Should I leave it? Yes) anyway beautiful to have, handle, and nonchalantly pull out during an evening with friends to give an air of "someone who knows".

More serious consideration on the music and the subject: folks, this is truly a huge contemporary artist! There are three CDs: one with solo piano pieces, one with only two pieces (total 21 minutes) performed with two keyboards (there's also the Fender piano) and a bit of various percussion, for a distinctly late '70s taste (Mwandishi, Corea-RTF, Bob James "on steroids") and one in piano/bass/drums trio. The "trio" record is breathtaking, for the precision of the performances, the freshness of the reinterpretations of already known themes: one thinks "beyond Jarrett" what's there? There's St. Peter and the Pearly Gates, right? No: there's Borstlap, first!!! I cannot translate into words the sensation of freshness that the ears experience listening finally to something different after so long, albeit done with the usual piano, double bass (sometimes electric bass), and drums, with excellent level co-players (Jeff "Tain" Watts for all) and recorded live in various parts of the world. You hear Jarrett, Bley, Monk, and Peterson again (how can it be? It doesn't fit at all! Dunno!) but in an absolutely original way. To keep someone like that in check, who often goes "out" while staying firmly "in", only sidemen of "top" caliber are needed from time to time. Very talented. All of them. Then listening to the solo piano record and the execution of the classical parts (the "Scherzo No. 1 Op. 20" is beautiful and unsurpassable) you realize the common classical root with Peterson and the mind finally "clicks" (congratulations! Well done! Thank you!). Of the record with the two more electronic pieces, we have already mentioned before, and it is worth adding that they serve to complete the portrait of this artist, besides being two very pleasant "disco effect" tracks. The only commercial mystery is that everything would easily fit on two CDs, but they chose to put three: huh!!! Anyway, if you can, "accattataville"!!!! Maybe not on Amazon or in the store but on Jayandmarie (E-bay) who occasionally throw one out for sale.