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.
Label: Progressive Records Catalog ID: PCD-7096 Squidco Product Code: 29264
Format: CD Condition: New Released: 1995 Country: USA Packaging: Jewel Case Recorded at the Norfolk Academy, in Norfolk, Virginia, on December 27th, 1993, by Patrick Burns.
"Joel Futterman's piano recital mostly features him striding lightly, hinting at Thelonious Monk in spots (his "Reverie" is reminiscent of "Ruby, My Dear") and playing thoughtful improvisations. A few numbers are hotter than others ("Standard Shadows" has him cooking with a walking bass, while "JP Swingin'" is a medium-tempo blues) and sometimes Futterman sounds a little like Lennie Tristano, too. But mostly he sounds original and is in a quiet and thought-provoking mood, varying tempos and emotions just enough to hold onto the listener's attention. His playing on a lengthy "Naima" is closer to the avant-garde explorations that one usually associates with Joel Futterman. All in all, this is one of his most accessible recordings and finds the pianist being quite creative within the tradition."-Scott Yanow, All Music
"Some free music has the impact of a knockout punch: it swells and explodes with ballistic intensity. Joel Futterman approaches the piano with precisely this pugilistic power, but he does so with real dexterity, like a giant gently cradling a baby. You can hear this gentle thunder on his recent solo outing, Silhouettes (Progressive), where his years of merciless practicing pay off. Based in Virginia Beach, Virginia--far outside any free-music scene whatsoever--Futterman is a Chicagoan by birth, and he came up playing with bandleader Gene Shaw. Over the last two decades he has worked and recorded with some premier hornmen, including Cecil Taylor's long-term alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, Taylor's onetime trumpeter Raphe Malik, Art Ensemble of Chicago multiple reedman Joseph Jarman, and Chicago's own wackmeister Hal Russell. [...]"-John Corbett, Chicago Reader