Artist.......: John Stetch Trio
Album........: Bruxin'
Label........: Justin Time Records
Genre........: Jazz
Catnr........: JTR 8525-2
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Feb-10-2007
str.date.....: May-09-2006
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: www.johnstetch.com
track title time
01. Inuit Talk 06:11
02. Bruxin' 06:52
03. Circus 05:01
04. Green Grove 07:34
05. The Girl in the Hemp Shirt 04:41
06. Chord-Free Gord 05:25
07. How Far is Callisto? 05:49
08. The Prairie Unfolds 05:14
09. Snark 03:56
10. Heavens of a Hundred Days 05:41
11. Rectangle Man 06:03
Runtime 62:27 min
Size 86,4 MB
Release Notes:
Originaire d'Edmonton, John Stetch est devenu l'un
des pianistes les plus brillants de sa generation.
Apres avoir etudie a McGill, il a quitte pour New
York en 1992 et a joue avec Rufus Reid, Seamus
Blake, Mark Turner, Chris Cheek. En 1998, il
obtenait le Prix du jazz Du Maurier du FIJM.
Depuis, il s'est exprime surtout en solo, realisant
trois albums encenses par la critique:
Ukrainianism, Standards et Exponentially Monk.
Comme compositeur, il n'hesite pas a renouveler
l'harmonie et le rythme; comme interprete, il a un
grand souci de la construction, de l'espace. Il
vient de faire paraitre Bruxin' chez Justin Time
avec les membres de son trio: Sean Smith
(contrebasse) et Rodney Green (batterie). Un
repertoire varie: valse (Green Grove), blues
(Circus), ballade (The Girl in the Hemp Shirt),
structure eclatee (Chord Free). Deux pieces
refletent les annees de jeunesse dans l'Ouest
canadien: Inuit Talk et The Prairie Unfolds.
After recording three finely crafted and
well-received solo piano albums, John Stetch
returns to the trio format for the first time since
Green Grove (1999). Bruxin', his first disc to
feature a program comprised entirely of original
compositions, finds Stetch looking back on some old
gems from his past and offering brand new tunes for
the future.
His revisitation of ôInuit Talk,ö whose clipped
melodic lines evoke the speech patterns of the
indigenous people of the arctic regions, collides
eloquently with Rodney Green's New Orleans-style
parade rhythms, creating an atmosphere of what
Mardi Gras might sound like at thirty degrees below
zero. These are not mere retreads, as revealed by
the blissful glide and subtle time shifts of ôGreen
Grove,ö the quirky rhythmic density of öSnark,ö and
the playfulness of ôRectangle Man,ö with a fine
bass solo by Sean Smith. Instead, the new, looser
versions contrast with the originals, displaying a
growing imagination and maturity in Stetch's work.
Nowhere is that growth more evident than on the new
songs. The title track has just the right
combination of bristling chord voicings and
disarming lyricismùlike vinegar and honeyùthat
Stetch has perfected over the years. ôChord-Free
Gordö showcases his current trio's wild side as the
hyperactive ensemble trades phrases like tossing a
hot potato. By far, the most arresting tune is How
Far is Callisto?, a reworking of John Coltrane's
Satellite, utilizing the Atlantic-era Coltrane
changes to great effect in 5/4 time. Stetch's lines
are far-flung and imaginative, and all three
musicians have a great time toying with the
complexities of the time signature, turning the
beat upside down and reveling in unabashed rhythmic
displacement.
Bruxin' may very well represent a turning point for
John Stetch. This album is the most thoroughly
satisfying of his group efforts, which is no small
feat considering the fine work he's produced over
the past fourteen years as a leader and a sideman.
Longtime enthusiasts will rejoice at the abundance
of fine music to be found here, and newcomers will
enjoy hearing a musician at what is sure to be just
one of many peaks in an ongoing career.