For generations, the music of Richard Rodgers has been capturing listeners’ ears and imaginations. The legendary composer’s songs have become a part of the musical zeitgeist, many outlasting the musicals or films they were created for. It is no surprise that Denny Zeitlin chose to spotlight Rodgers and his exemplary work on the pianist’s new solo recording, With a Song In My Heart: Exploring The Music of Richard Rodgers.

Richard Rodgers is considered one of the finest composers of the 20th century. He mastered the challenge of integrating harmony and melody, accomplishing this in a seamlessly natural way. Rodgers’ limitless ideas insured that his music remains forever fresh and never dated. It is easy to see why jazz musicians have long appreciated Rodgers’ work, as it is easy to breathe new life into.

Beginning in 2009, Zeitlin enjoyed a decade of annual solo concerts at Oakland’s Piedmont Piano Company. By 2014, he was devoting each concert to an exploration of a single composer. Having done Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Billy Strayhorn, and George Gershwin, Zeitlin set his sights on the music of Rodgers. Zeitlin had first encountered Rodgers’ work as a child when he saw Oklahoma! on the stage and screen. He was immediately hooked and Rodgers’ music became regular components of Zeitlin’s sets from high school on.

To prepare for his December 2019 performance at Piedmont Piano, Zeitlin took to the internet to remind himself of the Rodgers songs he loved and, also, discover new ones.

After making his selection, he began improvising and working with the material, alert to ways he could breathe new life into these compositions while honoring their specialness. Loose arrangements of the songs emerged, often involving free improvisation, new time signatures, reharmonization, and restructuring through repetition and focus on motifs. Zeitlin’s goal was to present the compositions in a fresh way that would unearth new challenges within the arrangement for improvisation. In performance, he hoped to get out of the way of the music and trust his unconscious to surprise himself with new musical solutions.

With a Song In My Heart presents eleven pieces that Zeitlin reimagines in his own brilliant and expansive way. The first half of the program was recorded live at Piedmont Piano Company on December 13, 2019, while the other half was recorded at Zeitlin’s Double Helix Studio at his home during sessions in November and December.

The live program begins with “Falling In Love with Love,” a 1938 composition dealing with the hopelessness of love. Zeitlin’s thoughtful take begins with an improvised intro, which moves through a series of harmonic modulations before settling into its buoyantly played melody. “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” is reworked into an intriguing 7/4-time signature and finds a searching, propulsive quality in performance. Previously unknown to him, Zeitlin discovered “He Was Too Good To Me” during his research period. Zeitlin explores the ins and outs of the song form on this moving ballad.

Zeitlin adds zest to a samba inflected version of the 1937 song, “Johnny One Note,” while he plays the Sinatra favorite, “Wait Till You See Her,” as a heart-melting waltz. The upbeat “Ev’rything I’ve Got” is played with a vigorously rolling rhythm and dense harmony. Zeitlin reworks every facet of the song to exercise all of the song’s musical potential.

The second half begins the studio recordings with “This Nearly Was Mine,” this lush arrangement performed in 5/4-time. “Have You Met Miss Jones” dances with Zeitlin’s playful touch, as he finds new rhythms and modulations. Zeitlin performs “I Have Dreamed” from The King and I as a lilting bossa nova, exuding warmth and hope, while South Pacific’s “Happy Talk” is thoroughly examined, the motifs exposed and reinvented. The recording concludes with “With a Song In My Heart,” performed in a touchingly honest rendition.

Denny Zeitlin has an incredible ability to infuse new light into well-known repertory works. The pianist’s reinvestigation of the music of Richard Rodgers is particularly illuminating, as the great composer’s works seem to beg for thoughtful readings. With a Song In My Heart showcases the brilliance of both men, the creator and the rejuvenator.