CD Review: Enrico Pieranunzi Trio - Yesterdays.

Enrico Pieranunzi (piano);  Mads Vinding (bass); Alex Riel (drums).
(Review by Lance).

Recorded live in 1997, at the Copenhagen Jazzhouse, and released 20 years later, Yesterdays may seem an appropriate title. However, listening to the Jerome Kern tune of the same name that occupies the first 11:30 of the album, I'd have plumped for Today. The album notes make comparision with Keith Jarrett and maybe there are similarities but, to me, Pieranunzi is much more accessible and he swings. Swings, not in a historical way but in the present time. It may have been recorded 20 years ago but it could have been recorded 20 minutes ago and no one would have known!

Gary Peacock's Vignette is sensitive, explorative and maybe there's a faint suggestion of Bill Evans which is never a bad thing. Vinding's solo would have got the nod from the composer.

Fats may have had a few reservations about the intro to his Jitterbug Waltz - the oft repeated cries of Mercy! that permeated so many of his recordings may have taken on a totally different meaning here! Fortunately, preliminaries over, once the head started rolling, he'd have stopped rolling in his grave and the Mercy would have been an approving one.

A Nameless Date by Pieranunzi. An enigmatic title. Maybe deserving of an explanatory lyric - the tune is well capable of handling one.

If there's a more daunting prospect for me than facing 3 minutes of Summertime then it's being confronted with 12:48 of My Funny Valentine - not funny!

As it turns out, Piernunzi, whilst remaining faithful to the tune (about as faithful as Bluebeard was to his wives...)
does the song proud with some great piano, sound bass and a drummer who's saying: "Rodgers and who?"

Many have told me that My Foolish Heart is their all-time favourite ballad and it's certainly high on my list. Equally, others have claimed the Bill Evans Trio take on the tune to be one of the greatest jazz ballad recordings.

Which leads me to the conclusion that it really is one helluva tune and this version does nothing to suggest otherwise.

Likewise, Howard Schwartz's If There is Someone Lovelier Than You. A new one - to me - demonstrating just how many GASbook items are still waiting to be rediscovered! 

Alex Riel gives it some stick(s) and Mads Vinding does what he does best with the leader rewriting the tune.

Twenty years? I ask you!

Strangely, in 1997, the trio recorded The Kingdom (Where Nobody Dies) which went on to become one of the Stunt Label's all-time 10 best sellers.

Come September [22] Yesterdays will be available on Stunt - STUCD17072 and distributed in the UK by Discovery.

Lance.