A lovely album full of sensitivity, excitement, rich harmonies and compositions, both standards (3) and originals (8), that tug at the heart, the feet and the brain - particularly the brain as O'Connell gives you plenty to think about.
Touch, the contact between fingers and piano keys that separates the artist from the ham-fisted piano player who can physically de-tune a piano in approximately 32 bars down the pub on a Saturday night (back in the day when they had ham-fisted piano players down the pub on a Saturday night). O'Connell is certainly not in that latter category!
Even when the rhythm becomes rockier, as on Herbie's Maiden Voyage, or the fast, technically brilliant, Around and Around, that touch prevails. It's like a sax player's magical reed, a trumpet player's favourite mouthpiece or a gig where the drummer isn't given a drum chart.
I don't know if Billy Hart was given any 'dots' to unravel but with or without them he's your first call. Likewise Debriano who also provides one of the originals - El Junque. Listen to his solo on Cay-Man: at times swinging, at times walking, at times both.
I'm not sure of the relevance of 85th Street. The tempo is, like Manhattan itself, fast and furious and, if they were driving, all three would get booked. Fortunately, the driving is restricted to the studio.
So Beautiful, So Sad is everything the title evokes. Bill Evans springs fleetingly to mind but only fleetingly, O'Connell is very much his own man. Debriano is once again very much an integral part welding O'Connell's flights of fancy with Hart's percussive contributions. The beautiful outweighs the sad.
Three Little Words. The Harry Ruby-Bert Kalmar classic opens with a Tatum-esqe flourish before settling into a nice, comfortable swing and more basso profundo. The tune's been around a long time, it should be heard more often.
El Junque (or El Yunque). Debriano's composition features the bassist over a gentle Latin beat. There is some dispute over the spelling although it's universally agreed that it refers to a mountain in Puerto Rico and not what you might think.
Sea Glass. Another enigmatic title that, nevertheless, swings along nicely.
I Hear a Rhapsody composed by Jack Baker, Dick Gasparre & George Frajos (remember those three names they might crop up in a quiz) is one of those standards that frequently gets played but everyone, including Google, seems to think it was composed by John Coltrane although he did record it.
Billy's Blues rounds off an excellent album. An original take on the good old 12-bar format and, given the title, some swinging stickwork. I'll be playing this album a lot! Lance
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