(Martial Solal – piano; François Moutin – bass; Louis Moutin- drums)
At 80 years of age, Frenchman Martial Solal reigns as probably the premier jazz musician on the planet. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say. And there is no current jazz disc tastier than this one. With its modest time of just under three-quarters of an hour, it certainly isn’t the longest. And the music, presented in the form of an unassuming piano trio, surely labors under conceptual, coloristic, and formal constraints more ambitious undertakings aren’t saddled with. But Oh! What glories are contained herein!
Endless invention—that’s the hallmark of this altogether remarkable disc. Whether it be the three standards, receiving the full-monty Solal treatment—not so much deconstruction as thoughtful rearrangement with an always recognizable tether, no matter how tenuous, to the melody—or the seven instant-standard-sounding originals, Solal reels off one original concept after another.
Often regarded as the heir of Art Tatum—and that’s a perfectly valid assessment—I hear quite a little bit of Theolonius Monk in his playing, more, perhaps, in his insouciant attitude than his style: he is much more the greater master of technique than Monk ever was. Indeed, Solal is perhaps the most accomplished pianist in the history of jazz. That’s what jumps out at the listener upon first hearing, and that’s what remains after many subsequent listenings—ridiculous chops and complete command of his instrument. One gets the impression he could have been Cecil Taylor or Marilyn Crispel or Borah Bergman or Irene Schweizer if he’d wanted to go in such an out direction. But he doesn’t. Instead, what he wants to do is advance the jazz tradition in a sustainable, not an idiosyncratic or dead-end, direction.
In a disc like this, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by its massive virtuosity—and, I must say, I’m more than a little surprised that that’s not my reaction. Instead, I’m completely won over by the absolute listenability of this spectacular music. Seldom do technical merit and sheer musicality so magnificently combine.
TrackList:
Slightly Bluesy
Here’s That Rainy Day
Longitude
Bizarre, Vous Avez Dit?
Tea for Two
Solaltitude
Short Cuts
The Last Time I Saw Paris
Monostome
Navigation
– Jan P. Dennis
