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Some time ago, the humble scribe advised you on "Dedication" by Eddie Gomez; with Jimmy Cobb on piano and Stefan Karlsson on piano (and Jeremy Steig in a couple of tracks on flute). Well, Gomez has since purchased four albums by Karlsson, thanks to the excellent prices on Amazon Marketplace; all very beautiful, but "the very best indeed" seems to reveal itself as the one under review, in a modest and negligible opinion: a "Live at Vartan Jazz" that is captivating and passionate (the cover you see is similar, as I was unable to find one). Soon as testimony of the fact that:
A) the piano trio is perhaps the most stimulating context for a pianist;
B) the live dimension, with the rightful background noise, is an essential component for the creation of the jazz product: the studio generally transmits much more coldness;
C) Bill Evans somehow permeates everywhere, from every jazz pianist worthy of respect;
D) class is not water: it so happens that Eddie Gomez is on this record, as in Dedication;
E) the absolute dedication to music, worthy of a Standing Baba, ultimately mathematically bears its fruits.
Eddie Gomez on double bass and Elliot Zigmund on drums: this time the latter finally without the annoying rivets on the "ride" cymbal that for years characterized his accompaniment, perhaps overly present on the highs. Here Elliot and Eddie reunite to play together for the first time exactly twenty years after their last collaboration with Bill Evans in the studio for "You Must Believe in Spring" (1977) and the result is marvelous: undoubtedly and openly, Karlsson is an epigone of the great Bill, although his piano approach is exactly midway between Oscar Peterson and Evans: certain bluesy entrances, the more regular timing, the groove nailed on the tracks of expressive sometimes modal way, the absolute and smooth verbosity of the first reference model contrast and integrate, somehow miraculously and happily, with clusters of chords, with the tendency to frequently leave more room for notes and rightful space for fellow musicians. The swing and the tapping foot, while the brain follows paths and phrases upon phrases, characterize many pianists of the present generation; but Karlsson, who is over fifty, fruitfully harnesses more maturity and spirit of mediation. The tracks:
1) From the bottom up
2) You must believe in spring
3) She was too good to me
4) Quantum
5) Carmen's song
6) You don't know what love is
7) We will meet again
8) I will wait for you
9) Beautiful love
Each of them presents distinct features and reasons for attentive interest, whether for a comparison with "the master's" Bill version, or for the absolutely original interpretative solutions: such as the quote of the Mash theme during "You Must Believe In Spring" or the obstinate and tense intro before "You Don't Know"; or the beautiful solos of Gomez, undeniably a world reference. Beautiful, undoubtedly. Was that clear? Sient'amme: accattatille! J V.
P.S.: if you're left curious about what the heck a Standing Baba is, perhaps it's a sign of destiny! So buy yourselves the beautiful autobiographical book by Gregory Roberts "Shantaram" http://www.bol.it/libri/scheda/ea978885450057.html!!!
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