Leslie Pintchik (pno); Steve Wilson (alt/sop); Ron Horton (tpt/flug); Scott Hardy (bs); Michael Sarin (dms); Satoshi Takeishi (perc).(Review by Lance).
So many review CDs come through the letterbox that I've had to replace the mat in the hall and the postman is complaining of a bad back so I hope those who have sent CDs for review will understand if they don't get reviewed immediately or even ever!
This disc is such a one that most undeservedly got shuffled back down the deck. Not any longer! It's a cracker!
Leslie Pintchik came to jazz after first teaching English Literature and receiving a Master of Philosophy degree in seventeenth century English Literature! The lady can read words as well as music!
Whilst I'm impressed by all this learnin' stuff, I'm even more knocked out by her pianistic, composing and arranging skills.
The compositions are magic, you feel you know these tunes even though you've never heard them before and plagiarism doesn't even enter into it - these are hers and no-one else's! Leslie's interpretation of the one non original, I've Grown Accustomed to her Face, is on a par with the classic Andre Previn version.
There are so many names bandied around these days - both here and "across the pond" - that genuine, straight down the middle players, usually immensely more talented than the jazzarati, get overlooked.
I'd like to think that Pintchik wasn't such a victim. The jazz of tomorrow can only be as good as the jazz of today if the jazz of today is as good as the jazz of yesterday. This disc bears comparision with the jazz of any day...
It's a disc to listen to and enjoy, not only the lady's piano and her compositions,
but also the fine solos by Wilson and Horton.
If we operated a 5 star system this would be ****.
Lance.
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