Five extended improvised piano solos from Joel Futterman recording in his home base of Virginia Beach, each an incredible journey in free playing that quotes and comments on the history of jazz piano, living up to the album's title through insight, perceptiveness, wit and intuition, Futterman's technique and mastery expressing narratives of amazing confidence and solid direction.
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Joel Futterman-piano
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UPC: 755491300756
Label: Soul City Sounds
Catalog ID: SCS_017
Squidco Product Code: 34555
Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2024
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in December, 2022, by Guy Fraser.
"Insight arises in an instant of audition, a plurality of sonic convergences in the juxtaposition of repose and motion. It couldn't be simpler, or more profound. A precipitous descent, a river in miniature bookended by granite slabs, gives way to a pause, concluding the inaugural gesture of the aptly titled Perspicacity, Joel Futterman's suite of solo piano inventions, a distillation in expansion and a universe in microcosm.
Futterman's artistry inhabits the interstices in and beyond time. The very next event tells the tale as components of that initial descent fragment and evolve, an inspiration interrogated and revised until a recurrence in magnification at 0:51, one of the many imbuing the five pieces with all of the luminosity in constantly shifting perspective familiar to those along on Futterman's musical journey. His yearly half-century of solo recordings find summation here, from the lush and expansive stride-soaked ballad of the second piece, through the tintinnabulating inside-the-instrument explorations opening the fifth and encompassing the untamed torrents only Futterman's cross-hand technique can achieve. Yet, remarkably, with the narrative precision comprising the prerogative of genius, each element becomes the other. Revel in the second piece's slow expansion beyond tone and time toward freedom in freneticism nevertheless calm at its center. Dig the points and lines, all contained in that opening gesture, as they return a-periodically in the second piece and, most poignantly, in the fourth. That initial declamation itself reappears to form the connections and resolutions cementing the third piece, a vast landscape also dotted by points and brief exclamations bespeaking creation in exaltation.
Beyond the phrases in dialogue and the concluding cadences never completely authenticated, there are moments, utterances of power to open the ear and stop the heart, the shimmering and overlapping drones 8:17 into the first piece or the volcanic infusion of oceanic stride out of which the drones evolve, like sun from storm or ice flow from rapids. This stretch of time captured in all of its attendant multiplicity is neither more nor less than pure creativity in its boldest manifestation, free flight frozen in magnetic concentration radiating, in sharp focus, so many days and years of preparation. Occurrence and recurrence catalyze the whole, pole and antipode in the fluid motion of perceptive conception, each pitch-speck and timbral cloud both universe and genesis. Questions answered and answers interrogated undulate in thunderous arcs, magical maelstroms and introspective eddies expand and contract time, tempo and timbre until the final piece, a distillation of distillations, a perspicacious moment in time as deeply creative as any in Futterman's venerable corpus. A concluding descent, a mirror within mirrors, completes the circle. Bells, blues, ballads and thunderous exhortations reduce to a shocking and only partial conclusion, bringing the suite to fruition; its end is its beginning."-Marc Medwin
Artist Biographies
• Show Bio for Joel Futterman "Joel Futterman, Piano and Indian Flute Determined to push the limits of the piano to techniques never heard in jazz, Joel began a 25-year regimen of practicing 8-10 hours a day. During this period, he developed a three-hand technique based on completely autonomous playing between the hands. With more than 70 recordings, he is considered one of the most innovative yet enigmatic new music pianists. Known for his spirited, highly imaginative, and innovative piano technique, Joel Futterman is an internationally recognized veteran pioneer into the frontiers of spontaneous, improvised music. He is considered one of the foremost inventive and adventurous artists shaping the creative, progressive music scene today. Futterman continuously pushes the limits of the piano as he explores new musical horizons. He has performed across North America and Europe including at such noted music festivals as the Tampere Jazz Festival in Finland, the Vision Festival in New York, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the Guelph Festival in Canada. He has performed with such notable jazz innovators as Jimmy Lyons, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Paul Murphy, Joseph Jarman, Richard Davis, William Parker, Alvin Fielder, and Hal Russell; as well as Edward 'Kidd' Jordan, with whom he has had a highly productive association. For many years, Futterman has also played the Indian Wooden Flute. Joel Futterman was born in Chicago, IL. He grew up and lived in Chicago until 1972. Joel had piano lessons from about age 9-11, then continued playing on his own, eventually studying theory and harmony with Alan Swain. Joel met Clarence (Gene) Shaw when he was 18 and studied with Clarence for two years. Clarence was an important influence at the time. One night Clarence invited Joel to his home for a party. He introduced Joel to Charles Mingus. Joel recalls that Mingus gripped his hand firmly and stared up at the ceiling. Joel attended University of Illinois in Chicago obtaining a (B.S.). Herman Finer, professor of political science, was a profound influence and encouraged Joel to pursue his creative endeavors. While Joel was in college, his mother passed away and he isolated himself and began practicing 12 to 16 hours a day. Practicing was the only comfort for him at this time. Joel attended Northeastern University in Chicago and worked on an MS in Education. He was nine hours short of receiving the degree when he decided to leave Chicago. Joel did receive an MS in Education with an endorsement in Reading at Old Dominion University in 1975. In 1972, Joel moved to Virginia, where he resides today, in a personal quest to develop his creative voice. His first album, CAFETERIA, was released in 1980 to considerable acclaim due to its originality. Since then, his recordings have included a number of jazz legends, such as Jimmy Lyons, Richard Davis, Hal Russell, William Parker and others. In 1994, photographer Michael Wilderman introduced Joel to Edward 'Kidd' Jordan, and since then Joel has enjoyed many rewarding musical collaborations with Kidd and drummer Alvin Fielder. Also, Joel Futterman has had a deep association with artist Ike Levin, founder of the Charles Lester Label." ^ Hide Bio for Joel Futterman
4/24/2024
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Track Listing:
1. Part One 19:21
2. Part Two 8:45
3. Part Three 16:22
4. Part Four 13:37
5. Part Five 4:46
Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Piano & Keyboards
Solo Artist Recordings
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Soul City Sounds.
 | Futterman, Joel / Michael Wimberly Innerpause (Creation Music) |
| The result of two formidably versatile improvisers--pianist Joel Futterman and drummer/percussionist Michael Wimberly--meeting in Futterman's home city of Virginia Beach for a session of collective, spontaneous improvisation, is this magnificent two-part work released as the unedited live first takes, an epic journey through masterful technique and compelling expression. | |
 | Futterman, Joel Transition One (Creation Music) |
| A remarkable tour de force of solo piano improvisation on this self-released album from Virginia-based but New York-associated pianist Joel Futterman, recording in the studio in 2009 for a three-part series of exploratory and profoundly masterful improvisations, captivating with intense and technical passages that yield to lyrically beautiful and expansive playing. | |
 | Futterman, Joel The Fall (Creation Music) |
| A three-part solo improvisation recorded in the studio and presented in complete unedited first takes with no overdubs, sequenced in the order recorded, from NY-area pianist Joel Futterman, performing "The Fall" in two parts, and "Recovery", each an epic journey through rapid technical virtuosity and nimble creativity, balanced with periods of deep reflection and introspection. | |
 | Futterman, Joel Remembering Dolphy (JDF Music) |
| Pianist Joel Futterman pays a tribute to late alto saxophonist Eric Dolphy through six Dolphy original compositions, plus one Mal Waldron track and two Futterman originals referencing Dolphy's well-known Blue Note record, "Out to Dinner" parts one & two, each track unedited with no overdubs and the album presented in the sequence in which it was recorded. | |
 | Futterman, Joel / Ike Levin Duo Infinite Dimensions (CLM) |
| Two spontaneously composed original improvisation from the collaborative partnership of Ike Levin on tenor saxophone and Joel Futterman on piano & Indian flute, their long history together allowing great depth of connection, passionate expression and periods of reflective contemplation, weaving their playing with meticulous detail inside an impressive and masterful journey. | |
 | Futterman, Joel / William Parker Why (Soul City Sounds) |
| Having worked together as members of the Kidd Jordan Quartet, pianist Joel Futterman and bassist William Parker recorded these collective duo improvisations in the studio in New York City in 2020, a perfect match of technical mastery pushing the boundaries of free playing through creative use of tonality, rhythm, and harmony from two extraordinarily compatibile improvisers. | |
 | Futterman, Joel / Chad Fowler / Steve Hirsh Ebb & Flow [2 CDs] (Mahakala Music) |
| Continuing the connections from prior Mahakala Music albums Warp & Weft, (Futterman/Hirsch) and Two Five None (Fowler/Hirsch) this album brings the three together as a dynamic trio recording the two-part "Ebb & Flow", a spectacular convergence that, true to the title, shows tremendous momentum and moments of great introspection, an incredible collective free encounter! | |
 | Futterman, Joel / William Parker / Chad Fowler / Steve Hirsh The Deep (Mahakala Music) |
| Sounding as though they'd played together for decades, this 1st meeting between pianist Joel Futterman, bassist William Parker, saxophonist Chad Fowler and drummer Steve Hirsh is a single 52-minute free jazz exposition as the four immediately fall into an invigorating conversation that continues through diverse moods from pinnacles of activity to reflective tone worlds; masterful! | |
 | Futterman, Joel Intervals 2 (Fundacja Sluchaj!) |
| Technically brilliant and creatively inventive, pianist Joel Futterman expands on his 2020 Listen! Foundation CD with a second three-part journey into his powerfully investigative approach to solo jazz improvisation, referencing a history of styles and techniques that display both a dynamo of intricate ability and a sensitivity to timing, space and melodic expression. | |
 | Futterman, Joel / Steve Hirsh Warp & Weft [2 CDs] (Mahakala Music) |
| With exceptionally quick spontaneity and astute anticipation, free improvising pianist Joel Futterman and drummer Steve Hirsh engage in a series of extended dialogs across two CDs of "Warp" & "Weft" in multiple parts, pushing each other in both technical and expressive interaction, weaving complex interplay with startling ease and creative intention. | |
 | Jordan, Edward 'Kidd' / Joel Futterman / William Parker / Hamid Drake A Tribute to Alvin Fielder (Live at Vision Festival XXIV) (Mahakala Music) |
| Recorded at Vision Festival XXIV in June of 2019, legendary drummer Alvin Fielder's friends and long time partners Kidd Jordan on tenor saxophone, Joel Futterman on piano and William Parker on contrabass are joined by drummer/percussionist Hamid Drake for an emotional and potent swinging free jazz tribute to Fielder, who passed away in January of that year. | |
 | Futterman, Joel / Chad Fowler Timeless Moments (Mahakala Music) |
| The first duo collaboration between pianist Joel Futterman and saxophonist Chad Fowler, performing on stritch--a straight alto saxophone--in a nine-part studio journey drawing on a history of jazz styles, from blues to free, in lyrical and actively introspective dialogs, building to an intense conclusion of rapidly cathartic interaction and a final, pensive release. | |
 | Futterman, Joel Creation Series [5CD BOX SET] (NoBusiness) |
| Five major works in a Creation Series concept from pianist Joel Futterman, each disc presenting from 2 to 4 parts in an ambitious and accomplished set of solo improvisations that start simply with monophonics and evolve into increasingly complex and inspired works of incredible creative control; a masterful release reflecting a lifetime of innovation and inventiveness. | |
 | Futterman, Joel / Ike Levin Live In Chicago (JDF/CLM ) |
| An almost hour long "Rhizome" of free improvisation and a brief "Renewal" from the duo of Joel Futterman on piano and Ike Levin on tenor sax & bass clarinet, performing live at Constellation in Chicago in 2017, for a wonderfully evolving work of suspense, release, technical brilliance and exuberant expression, a dialog that only two such frequent collaborators can evoke. | |
 | Futterman, Joel Perception (Creation Music) |
| A three part solo improvisation from pianist and composer Joel Futterman, also performing on Indian flute and curved soprano saxophone, each track a complete unedited first take with no overdubs, presented in the order performed, the first part a nearly 53 minute epic of powerful and consequential playing, from vigorous technical runs to beautifully languid moments; stunning. | |
 | Futterman, Joel / Ike Levin Duo The Present Gift (IML Music) |
| A meeting in the studio in 2001 between frequent collaborators, pianist Joel Futterman, also performing on curved soprano saxophone & wooden Indian flute, and Chicago tenor saxophonist Ike Levin, also on bass clarinet and Brazilian Kalimba, beautifully capturing the extraordinary conversation of strongly articulated dialog between the two improvisers; impressive! | |
 | Futterman, Joel Blues For My Brother (Creation Music) |
| Four solo imporovisations from pianist Joel Futterman, starting with the nearly 20-minute "Blues For Ronnie" dedicated to his brother Ronald, a lyrical and soulful work that reflects traditional blues and ragtimes forms within a modern perspective, alongside 3 other rich works of the strong technical and melodic skill that define Futterman's mastery and intentions. | |
 | Jordan, Kidd / Joel Futterman / William Parker / Alvin Fielder Live At The Guelph Jazz Festival 2011 (Creative Collective) |
| The 2011 Guelph Jazz Festival presented this quartet of legendary players--William Parker on bass, Alvin Fielder on drums & percussion, Joel Futterman on piano & flute, and Kidd Jordan on tenor saxophone--for an exemplary concert of jazz that uses free approaches to create melodic, inventive and soulful music, the expansive conversations sophisticated and wonderfully exhilarating. | |
 | Futterman, Joel Silhouettes (Progressive Records) |
| This '93 solo concert at Norfolk Academy in Virginia finds free jazz pianist Joel Futterman reflecting on standards and jazz repertoire by inference & reference, improvising over 7 original compositions and Coltrane's "Naima", with moments of lyrical delicacy, savvy swinging sections, and reflective Monk moods, all filtered through his Futteran's powerful creative drive. | |
 | Futterman / Levin / Fielder Traveling Through Now (CLM) |
| Urgent and inspired free improvisation from New Yorkers Futterman, Fielder and Levin in a studio release of their trio's original and spontaneous compositions. | |
 | Jordan, Kidd / Joel Futterman / Alvin Fielder Trio Live At The Tampere Jazz Happening 2000 (CLM) |
| A superb live album recorded at the 2000 Tampere Jazz Happening, Pakkahuone, Finland, and the 4th release from the trio of Kidd Jordan on tenor sax, Joel Futterman on piano, soprano sax & indian wooden flute, and Alvin Fielder on drums & percussion; improvisation performed like old friends, the album divided into six tracks plus an encore but performed as one long piece. | |
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