Spring Break
The Bill Charlap trio perform with atypical virtuosity and skill
by Jason Donenfeld
Arts | 3/11/08
Posted online at 1:41 AM EST on 3/11/08
/ Last updated at 1:45 AM EST on 3/11/08
Hailed as one of the world's best living jazz pianists, Bill Charlap enchanted Friday's crowd at Regattabar. The Bill Charlap Trio, which includes Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums, played straight-ahead jazz standards with the dark moodiness of Bill Evans combined with the outside phrases of Thelonious Monk. Leading the crowd though a wide range of emotions, the trio intertwined moving ballads with exciting up-tempo songs.
Unlike at The Superpower's show in February at the same venue, this time Regattabar had no one under the age of 35, I being an exception. The favorable portion of the crowd consisted of old-fashioned jazz lovers who wore painter-style caps indoors and sported beat-up tweed jackets from 1940. The remaining portion of the only half-filled Regattabar included boring couples who prefer to listen to the soft-rock station on the car radio, but thought that they could affirm their false sophistication by emptying their wallets for tickets to a jazz show. Despite this group's usual lack of taste, most of the couples seemed especially captured by some of Charlap's more tender moments.
Charlap opened with four consecutive Gershwin tunes, filling each one with bombastic chromatic sequences and lofty chordal soloing. At times the Gershwin tunes included a Monk-ish interpretation, and my chest felt heavy with curious tension, and at other times, Charlap's evident Evans influence would shine, and he would play over Gershwin's changes with a soft syncopation.
Of the Gershwin tunes, "I Was So Young, You Were So Beautiful" was most touching. Charlap played murky yet moody chord voicings with sweeping descending arpeggios to create an effect like falling rain, and K. Washington's sizzling drums certainly contributed to the ambiance. But the top highlight of this piece was K. Washington's evocative bass work. Similar to the style of late bassist Eddie Gomez, Washington played an almost counterpoint melody to Charlap's solo, and when it came time for Washington's solo, his lines hovered with warm depth as he slid an interval up a fourth on the neck of the bass. Indeed, I felt these slides up my neck, as well.
Unlike at The Superpower's show in February at the same venue, this time Regattabar had no one under the age of 35, I being an exception. The favorable portion of the crowd consisted of old-fashioned jazz lovers who wore painter-style caps indoors and sported beat-up tweed jackets from 1940. The remaining portion of the only half-filled Regattabar included boring couples who prefer to listen to the soft-rock station on the car radio, but thought that they could affirm their false sophistication by emptying their wallets for tickets to a jazz show. Despite this group's usual lack of taste, most of the couples seemed especially captured by some of Charlap's more tender moments.
Charlap opened with four consecutive Gershwin tunes, filling each one with bombastic chromatic sequences and lofty chordal soloing. At times the Gershwin tunes included a Monk-ish interpretation, and my chest felt heavy with curious tension, and at other times, Charlap's evident Evans influence would shine, and he would play over Gershwin's changes with a soft syncopation.
Of the Gershwin tunes, "I Was So Young, You Were So Beautiful" was most touching. Charlap played murky yet moody chord voicings with sweeping descending arpeggios to create an effect like falling rain, and K. Washington's sizzling drums certainly contributed to the ambiance. But the top highlight of this piece was K. Washington's evocative bass work. Similar to the style of late bassist Eddie Gomez, Washington played an almost counterpoint melody to Charlap's solo, and when it came time for Washington's solo, his lines hovered with warm depth as he slid an interval up a fourth on the neck of the bass. Indeed, I felt these slides up my neck, as well.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Roger Frederic
posted 3/13/08 @ 9:02 PM EST
Interesting, informative and entertaining to read and I don't know the group or music. Excellent sentence structure and composition. Well organized and descriptive. (Continued…)
John Bottonari
posted 3/18/08 @ 6:39 AM EST
Young man:
K(enny) Washington is the DRUMMER. P(eter) Washington is the bassist.
John Bottonari ('75)
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