As a unit, Bill Charlap’s trio is unmistakably recognizable, which is fed by its namesake’s understanding of songs. His piano keys are as light as a feather, almost unobtrusive, even when he plays full chords, but always clearly and succinctly articulated. With spirited support from the two unrelated pulse-setters Peter Washington (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums), Charlap presents well-known material. Are there really any need for further interpretations of “All The Things You Are” and “‘Round Midnight”?
Not really, both pieces have been recorded at least once by virtually every well-known jazz musician in their respective catalogues. Nevertheless, the pianist from New York provides proof on his new record that it is still possible to give song standards a fresh interpretation. As the son of a songwriter and a singer, he has an instinctive feeling for classical song material. His versions of Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way” and Gershwin’s “The Man I Love” are masterfully played and yet wittily improvised.
Bill Charlap Trio: „And Then Again“ (Blue Note/Universal) Foto: Blue Note/Universal Music
The title track, composed by Kenny Barron, has the effortless quality of inevitability. In the middle of the eight tracks on the record, Charlap also reveals why the late crooner Tony Bennett valued him as a close friend and collaborator. He constantly plays to his melodic abilities, spinning rounds full of energy and harmonic sensitivity, just like the keyboard player Bill Evans once did.
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He must have been particularly reminded of Thelonious Monk’s teachings during the recording, which only took one evening. Taking up his musical spirit, Charlap simultaneously brings the improvisation, the rhythm section and the vision of the respective composer to the fore. In doing so, he creates impressively rich spaces between the notes. In jazz, not everything has to be played out non-stop, that is the essence of “And Then Again”. Less is often more, even in free music.
