For this album, I went back through personal archives of unreleased material to
assemble a program focusing on my three major modalities this century: solo
piano; duo electro-acoustic free improvisations with George Marsh; and trio with
Buster Williams and Matt Wilson. I’ll describe the program by modality; but rather
than sequencing them in three separate sections, I’ve arranged a more interesting
journey.
Solo: Only One is a gorgeous ballad by bassist Bill Lee, who performed frequently
in Chicago in the fifties with pianist Chris Anderson, on whose album I first heard
this piece. Cherokee was frequently selected at a breakneck tempo at jam sessions
back then when new players stepped up to the bandstand. Limburger Pie and Beeswax
Crust occurred to me as the title for my composition that moves through different
feelings, times, and textures. I have no idea what it means.
Duo: Drummer-percussionist George Marsh and I have been making music together
since the late sixties, and beginning in 2013 have frequently met in my studio to
record electro-acoustic spontaneous compositions.
Trio: Buster Williams, Matt Wilson, and I began working as a trio in 2001, and the
music has continued to evolve despite infrequent performances due to their busy
touring schedules and the demands of my psychiatric practice and teaching. The selections
here are from the same 2019 gig at Mezzrow Jazz Club in NYC that produced
my Sunnyside 2020 album, “Live At Mezzrow.”