Bringing together veteran bassist Drew Gress with younger generation players, Belgian-American saxophonist Robin Verheyen (Bram De Looze) and drummer Mark Ferber (Gary Peacock, Ralph Alessi), pianist Marc Copland's new quartet presents a lyrical album of original compositions and standards; virtuosic, energetic and sensitively interpreted works of modern jazz.
Format: CD Condition: New Released: 2022 Country: USA Packaging: Digipack - 3 panel Recorded at The Samurai Hotel, in New York, New York, on January 11th and 12th, 2022, by Katsuhiko Naito.
As the pandemic winds down and music re-emerges in 2022, Marc Copland has released his first quartet CD in several years, featuring some of the finest talents on the New York scene. Copland feels that this is one of his best recordings ever, and after listening, we can see why! By now Marc Copland needs no introduction. At 74 years, he's arguably at the very top of his game, making him one of the handful of jazz pianists playing at the highest level. Certainly John Abercrombie and Gary Peacock thought so; for over 30 years, they played in his bands, and he in theirs. Drew Gress, the other veteran in the band, has been omnipresent on the jazz scene in the last three decades and likewise needs no introduction. He covers the whole instrument with breath-taking virtuosity, and his understanding of time and harmony is perhaps unrivaled among his peers. Copland and Gress, partners for many years, are joined by two outstanding younger talents. Robin Verheyen is a Belgian-American saxophonist who has been playing with Copland for nearly ten years. Says the pianist, "he really knows how to listen, and has his own sound and approach, which is so important." Copland, who has played and recorded over the years with (among others) Bob Berg, Mike Brecker, David Liebman, Joe Lovano, and James Moody, says simply, "Robin is my favorite tenor and soprano saxophonist." But it's not only the saxophonist's talents as a player that shine here; Copland has included two ballads composed by Verheyen on this recording, because "his tunes are unusual but very logical, and fun to play on." Drummer Mark Ferber, who splits time between New York and Los Angeles, is no stranger to jazz listeners, having toured and recorded with Gary Peacock's trio, Ralph Alessi's quintet (two albums for ECM), and countless other projects. He combines an effortless technical proficiency, killer swing, high intensity, and a quiet sensitivity--- all in one package. Copland's unique sense of touch,lyricism and poetry at his instrument, his creation of unusual harmonies and lines, and his sense of swing are well documented. What's perhaps less known, but shines brightly here, is how committed he is to the spontaneity of the moment. "That's an approach that John (Abercrombie), Gary (Peacock), and I all shared- when I played with either one, it was like we could read each other's minds." In this band, the level of spontaneous interaction and interplay between the musicians is remarkable. "I never come to the studio with all the tunes selected and prepared," says the pianist. "I like to leave room for something to happen and to encourage band members to participate in the decision making and shaping of the music. When everybody's involved, you get this thing where the band sounds and feels like one living organism. For example, towards the end of two days of recording, Robin suggested playing a set as if the band were in a club-no stopping, no talking, no coffee break, no plan,"just play and see what happens." So Copland started playing, and the other three joined in, making music nonstop for about an hour. And there were indeed magical moments---represented here by the renditions of Someday My Prince Will Come, Nardis, and Verheyen's Dukish. How does Copland feel about this music? "In the several years before John Abercrombie passed away, we had a real vibe going with his last quartet. We were, as John liked to say, firmly rooted in the tradition but pushing the boundaries in order to discover new things, and a lot of people seemed to get it and want more. This new quartet feels just like that to me, and I'm sure John agrees, wherever he is."-Inner Voice Jazz