Artist.......: Kevin Hays
Album........: Open Range Piano Works III
Label........: ACT
Genre........: Jazz
Catnr........: 9752
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Sep-11-2006
str.date.....: Feb- 21-2006
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: www.kevinhays.com
track title time
01. Open Range 02:33
02. Homestead 03:25
03. Desert Blues 07:42
04. Humming Bird Song 02:21
05. Improvisation 07:19
06. You Are My Sunshine 05:43
07. Fire Dance 04:25
08. Nursery Rhyme 06:35
09. Meditation 04:29
10. Harmonium 03:05
11. Sacred Circles 06:10
Runtime 53:47 min
Size 60,7 MB
Release Notes:
A talented pianist, Kevin Hays grew up in
Connecticut and started lessons when he was seven.
He made his recording debut with Nick Brignola;
toured with the Harper Brothers (1989-1990); and
worked with Joshua Redman, Benny Golson, Donald
Harrison, Roy Haynes, and Joe Henderson, among
others. Kevin Hays recorded three albums with Bob
Belden, and in 1994 cut his first record as a
leader, Seventh Sense (Blue Note).
Kevin Hays' departure from his birthplace (New York
City) for Santa Fe, NM, helped inspire this
collection of originals, most of which are piano
solos. Hays' longtime jazz fans are in for a
surprise, as this session is a great departure from
his earlier recordings as a leader. The
introductory track, "Open Range," has a lonely,
somewhat pastoral feeling, sounding more like a
classical piano sonata. "Nursery Rhyme" consists of
enchanting variations on its brief opening theme in
a hushed setting. "Harmonium" begins with the
sounds of children playing in the distance on the
shoreline, with Hays playing the keyboard with one
hand and alternately dampening and plucking the
strings with the other. "Homestead" is a bit
erratic, with the echo of the piano in the distance
and Hays' odd vocal chant, which may be easier to
enjoy than the singing of Keith Jarrett, though it
still is somewhat annoying. Hays does a better job
singing in his subdued, richly textured
interpretation of the old chestnut "You Are My
Sunshine," though he gets carried away by
overdubbing a harmony vocal and string sample.
"Humming Bird Song" is an unusual miniature, with
Hays accompanying a distorted-sounding Native
American chant. Obviously, this must have been a
very satisfying session for Kevin Hays, and it is
well worth investigating despite its occasional
distractions.