Acclaimed pianist Noah Haidu releases 'Standards II, a heart-stopping set of
music showcasing his deepening repartee with bassist Buster Williams and
drummer Billy Hart
Due April 12, 2024 on Sunnyside Records, the follow-up to Haidu’s acclaimed 2023 Standards
solidifies his commitment and mastery of the format
“Noah Haidu will take over the mantle of the Standards Trio.” –Takehiko Tokiwa, Intoxicate Magazine
“A work of stunning execution and heart.” – Alexa Peters, DownBeat
Pianist Noah Haidu sees a certain irony in his current recorded output. “I love composing but
improvisation has always been my greatest passion. When I started releasing music in 2011 I relied
on my songwriting to make a unique artistic statement, but I’ve come full circle and realized that finding
my own voice on a simple, unadorned standard is a rare and necessary endeavor.” Haidu embraced that
endeavor on his 2023 release Standards, and on Standards II, due out April 12, 2024 on Sunnyside
Records. The new album is a breathtaking masterpiece featuring Haidu with two of the music’s most
esteemed players, Buster Williams on bass and Billy Hart on drums.
“With Standards II, I’ve committed to performing with my own Standards Trio as a regular part of my
touring schedule,” Haidu says. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to build a voice in this canon, and for the
amazing response from audiences on our recent tours. While I’m still composing my own music and
continuing with various projects outside of the American Songbook repertoire, my Standards Trio is an
important statement for me and an integral part of my identity as a musician.”
Haidu’s initial quintet recordings — Slipstream (Posi-Tone) and Infinite Distances (Cellar Live) — led to
DownBeat magazine calling him an “innovative composer,” while writer Giovanni Russonello described
him as “a performer and composer with focus and vision.” In Jazzwise magazine, Tony Hall called Haidu
“unquestionably one of the most confident and impressive of all the new pianists.” Standards II realizes
that early promise while honing in on the essential components of jazz pianism and the jazz trio. The
album showcases Haidu’s touch, improvisations and interaction with Williams and Hart. These
performances illuminate classic repertoire with freshness, virtuosity and irresistible immediacy,
commanding the listener’s full attention.
The album is also the latest in a five-decade collaboration between legendary bassist Buster Williams and
brilliant drummer Billy Hart. Their rhythmic partnership started on a gig in Chicago with vocalist Betty
Carter, and continued soon after in bands led by pianists Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner, both of
whom have influenced Haidu as much as Keith Jarrett and Kenny Kirkland. Haidu reminisces about the
moment he realized he wanted to record with Hart and Williams:
“We were playing at Jazz Forum. I’d played with Billy, I’d played with Buster, but we’d never played
together as a group. I started a piece in three-four time, but the tempo was too fast. Buster responded by
superimposing different time signatures over the 3-4, never quite going into one or the other. The effect of
keeping things off balance challenged everyone to play the song differently. It was like … hold on tight,
and keep up!