Album review: Leslie Pintchik - Prayer For What Remains (Pintch Hard Records)

Leslie Pintchik (piano, composer, arranger);  Scott Hardy (bass); Michael Sarin (drums); Satoshi Takeishi (perc.) + Steve Wilson (soprano sax on two tks)

Pintchik's eighth album and I think the title gives a clue as to the mood although I could be wrong. We shall see ...

The title track* bears me out with some thoughtful piano from the leader and an expressive soprano wail from Wilson on the first of his two appearances.

However, Later Than We Thought  is more up. The bouncy Latin rhythm belying the inspiration behind the title (this might be our last cup of coffee!).

Request Denied. By now, my original thoughts have been banished. This one swings like some of those states will, hopefully, do in November. Nice bass solo from Hardy who just happens to have been married to Ms Pintchik for the past 37 years.

Private Moment, an absolute gem of a ballad that has a Bill Evans feel to it. Again Hardy is sound in both solo and support.

Over Easy brings Wilson back into the game. It's a jaunty, almost tongue-in-cheek head that all five seem to enjoy. Wilson is great I wanted him on more tracks. His 'fours' with Sarin  work seamlessly well.

I Will. Pintchik composed eight of the ten numbers but this one came from the team of Lennon and McCartney and, in this lady's hands, is none the worse for that. She transforms it.

Banquet. The other 'ringer' - Joni Mitchell penned this one. I haven't heard Joni's version so I can but judge it on what I'm hearing. And what I'm hearing is good. Sad, mournful and, now that I've checked out the original, I like it better without the words.

Open Secret. Despite the title, I've no idea what the secret is - it isn't open to me! What is no secret is that it's a fine tune and a fine arrangement. Bass solo with percussion and drums pushing it along nicely, thank you very much.

Grief does what it says on the tin. Heartfelt and sad, yet not so much bemoaning the loss of a loved one inasmuch as thankful that you knew them.

Just Sayin' (live) brings the album to a close on a happier note.

Recommended. Lance

*In a personal note that follows the liner notes of Prayer for What Remains, Leslie Pintchik writes that the title track “was inspired by a photo taken by the war photographer Joseph Eid. In it, a man smoking a pipe in Aleppo, Syria sits in his bombed-out bedroom, listening to music on a manual gramophone that operates without electricity. A tragic image of war, yes, but one that Eid said ‘talks about life’ as well.”