CD Review: Noah Haidu, "Standards II"

Listeners who miss the live piano mastery of Keith Jarrett, you have amply reason to celebrate Noah Haidu's performance of "Standards II" with his two soul mates, Bassist Buster Williams and Drummer Billy Hart.  I reviewed and loved Haidu's first masterpiece "Standards" that was released in 2023.  Haidu's second album is without question another masterpiece of musical greatness.  All three of these master musicians share their own sensitive perfect understanding of the seven standards on this album. 

This Jazz trio could possibly be the best trio performing today.  I know that's high praise but everytime I listen to this album, it seems to get better.  It's got the emotion, energy, creativity and sensitivity that is missing from so much of the new Jazz music I hear today.  It's a musical interruption of 7 aclaimed standards that we all know by three master Jazz musicians.  This CD is the lastest in a five-decade collaboration between Pianist Noah Haidu, Bassist Buster Williams and Drummer Billy Hart.  Haidu offers, "With Standards II", I've committed to performing with my own Standards Trio as a regular part of my touring Schedule.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to build a voice in the canon, and for the amazing response from audiences on our recent tours.  While I'm still composing my own music and continuing with various projects outside of the American Songbook repertoire, my Standards Trio is an important statement for me and an integral part of my identity as a musician".

I have selected and attached two "YouTubes" for you to listen to.  Selecting just two was a difficult task as this talented trio brings so much to each standard on this album.  The first song selected is the George and Ira Gershwin gem "Someone To Watch Over Me".   The second selection is an uptempo verison of "After You've Gone".  I encourage you to add this CD to your Jazz collection,  it's worth every penny you pay for it and,  I promise you will be playing it for years to come.

PLAYERS:

Noah Haidu- Piano

Buster Williams- Bass

Billy Hart- Drums

PLAYLIST:

1. Over The Rainbow

2. Someone To Watch Over Me

4. Obsesion

5. Days Of Wine and Roses

6. After You've Gone

7. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

CD Review: Noah Haidu, "Standards"

 

Today's review is for a CD that was released a while ago.  I never got to listen to it until recently, and once I heard it I knew I had to get the word out.   The CD, "Standards" is by Pianist/Composer Noah Haidu who is joined by Bassists Buster Williams and Peter Washington, Drummer Lewis Nash and guest Sax player Steve Wilson.  The CD was inspired and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the remarkable Jarrett, Peacock and DeJohnette's first "Standards" album.  Noah Haidu says, "There's something so vulnerable about playing in this context, when you're completely exposed.  Of course, I love composing because you can create an entire world, your own language of sound.  But with these old standards all you've got is your own musicality and the connection you have with the music and the players.  That requires a willingness to let go and see where the song takes you, something that can't be taught or practiced." The theme of lost love is the emotional center of so many of the standards on this CD like "Skylark", "All The Way" and "I Thought About You".  Haidu says "There've been a few painful breakups in recent years and I lost my father with whom I was very close. That universal feeling of lost love comes into play on so many standards, especially the ballads."   It's wonderful that we have another highly-talented young Pianist willing to continue the Keith Jarrett tradition of spot-lightning a new look at standards for Jazz fans today!

I have attached two "YouTube" videos.  The first is a beautiful presentation of . "Skylark".  The second is the classic ballad, "Beautiful Friendship".  

                                                                       " Skylark"

                                                                "Beautiful Friendship"

PLAYERS:

Noah Haidu- Piano, Composing

Buster Williams-Bass (Tracks 1-4)

Lewis Nash- Drums

Peter Washington- Bass (Tracks 5-7, 9-11)

Steve Wilson- Drums

PLAYLIST:

1. Old Folks

2. Just In Time

3. Beautiful Friendship

4. All The Way

5. Someday My Prince Will Come

6. You and the Night and the Music

7. Ana Maria

8. Skylark

9. I Thought About You

10. Last Dance I

11. Last Dance II 

CD Review: Roseanna Vitro, "Listen Here"

 

While a reviewer's job is to look for new talents and new material, I find it so satisfying when I uncover a musical gem that I missed.  In this case, it's the reissue of Roseanna Vitro's 1984 debut album, "Listen Here" featuring The Kenny Barron Trio. This wonderful CD launched Vitro's long career as a performer, recording artist, educator and journalist.  Even though this was her first CD, Vitro's performance matches even the most mature Jazz singers.  Singing a playlist of Jazz standards, Vitro applies her own unique touch to these evergreens bringing her own style and sense of swing to each of them.  Esteemed Jazz journalist Neil Tesser had this to say in USA Today: "Roseanna can sing rings around half the vocalists you can name.  Her warm, confident clarity of tone is immediately noticeable, but most startling is her boldness of phrasing."  I couldn't agree more!

What really puts this over the top is the group that accompanied Roseanna on this CD.  To say they were great hardly expressed the level of their musical skills.  The supporting Trio is made up of Kenny Barron on Piano, Buster Williams on Bass, Ben Riley on Drums.  Joining this super Trio is Arnett Cobb on Sax, Duduka Da Fonseca on Percussion, Scott Hardy on Guitar and Bliss Rodriguez on Piano for cut # 3, "Centerpiece".  The arrangements were written by the always remarkable Fred Hersch.  This group of talented musicians along with the remarkable voice and phrasing of Roseanna Vitro have produced a CD that any Jazz fan would love!

I have chosen two songs from this CD for you to enjoy.  The first one is "No More Blues" and the second one is "You Took Advantage of Me".

"No More Blues"

"You Took Advantage of Me"

Playlist:

1. No More Blues

2. You Go To My Head

3. Centerpiece

4. Love You Madly

5. A Time For Love

6. This Happy Madness

7. Listen Here

8. It Could Happen To You

9. Easy Street

10. Sometime Ago

11. You Took Advantage Of Me

12. Black Coffee

Players:

Roseanna Vitro- Vocals

Kenny Barron- Piano

Buster Williams- Bass

Arnett Cobb- Sax #3, 4, 8

Bliss Rodriguez- Piano #3

Scott Hardy- Guitar  #6

Duduka Da Fonseca- Percussion #1, 6

Arrangements: Fred Hersch