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.
Standards II is clearly not a piano date with hired gun sidemen. It showcases
an evolving ensemble —seasoned by time on the road and in the
studio — at its peak, nailing the essence of what a jazz trio should be and
expanding its vocabulary in some of the music’s most revered standards.
Standards II
SSC1739
4/12/2024