CD Review: Zoe Rahman – Dreamland

Zoe Rahman (piano)

(Review by Russell)

Dreamland is Zoe Rahman’s sixth album on Manushi Records, her own label, and her first solo recording. Recent recording and touring projects have seen Rahman working with, first, the bassist George Mraz, and latterly Courtney Pine. Dreamland is all about the pianist and not before time. Of fourteen tracks Rahman wrote nine and chose to record five other contrasting compositions including Jessica Williams’ The Sheikh, Ellington’s A Single Petal of a Rose and Abdullah Ibrahim’s Sunset in Blue.

NYJO recently recorded Red Squirrel, Rahman’s tune originally written for trio, and it opens the CD to great effect. Pianist and piano sound great, the standard set, the rest of the recording follows suit. The Sheikh is buoyant, Zantastic (all sixty four seconds of it) is simply zantastic! Imagine Art Tatum holding court in some juke joint when in walks Rahman, sits on the edge of the piano stool, nudges the great man to one side and gives a master class. Tatum bows, Rahman smiles.

The Epicentre, a bold concert platform statement, followed by a superb reading of These Foolish Things, illustrate the breadth of material on the CD. Rahman’s tunes could quite easily be adapted for piano trio – listen to The Calling and hear the possibilities. Rahman credits the piano tuner – Neil Cole, The Piano Consultancy – in the album liner notes. A Steinway was at the pianist’s disposal. Engineered by Matt Wiggins, jointly produced by Zoe Rahman and Idris Rahman, Dreamland is one of the albums of the year.      

Russell

Dreamland by Zoe Rahman is released on Manushi Records (cat.no. MANUCD006 CD/DL) on June 17. Zoe Rahman’s album launch gig is on June 7 at Live at the Forge, London.