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Pianist Ted Rosenthal Pays Tribute to Iconic Composer
George Gershwin with Rhapsody in Gershwin -
Available May 13 via Playscape Recordings
"Rosenthal is a pianist of rarest skill, weaving rapid single note lines that
span out into rich chordal patterns, parallel octaves and hints of the blues"
No living pianist is better equipped to address the music of the iconic composer George Gershwin than Ted Rosenthal, as is amply displayed on Rhapsody in Gershwin, his 15th release as a leader. Fulfilling The New Yorker's
description as "a musician's musician who balances technique and
taste," Rosenthal launches the proceedings with a kaleidoscopic trio
arrangement of Gershwin's enduring concerto Rhapsody In Blue, and continues with personalized interpretations of seven enduring hits from Gershwin's canon.
The treatments by Rosenthal and his impeccable trio (bassist Martin Wind, drummer Tim Horner)
further burnish his long-standing reputation as one of the leading jazz
pianists and improvisational conceptualists of his generation, as a
jury panel comprising Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Sir Roland Hanna and
Roger Kellaway affirmed in November 1988, when they named him winner of
the second annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition.
"The
'Rhapsody' trio arrangement was born of practical considerations,"
Rosenthal writes in the liner notes, explaining that he received an
offer to perform Rhapsody In Blue
that did not include a sufficient budget for a full orchestra. Intimate
with the piece through frequent performances as a solo pianist, with
various symphony orchestras, and, most recently, with a Paul Whiteman
style jazz orchestra in a February 2014 concert at New York's Town Hall
celebrating Rhapsody's 90th anniversary, Rosenthal decided to take on the challenge. Throughout the epic journey that is Rhapsody in Blue,
he hews to the original score, never losing sight of the melodies and
motifs, "while adding my own jazz improvisations in the cadenza
sections" and postulating an array of colors, moods and textures for the
trio to navigate.
"What was tricky, challenging and fun was to strike a balance between the notes that Gershwin
wrote and the new directions that we take it," Rosenthal says. "If you
take the jazz and the solos too far, you might start to lose the focus;
if you just play the piece, someone may say, 'Where's the jazz?' I've
played Rhapsody in a more historical context, with all the notes and
nothing extra. But I'm a jazz musician, and I prefer to do it with
improvisation, which I think is natural. In a way, I'm bringing a few
worlds together with this recording."
On Rhapsody In Gershwin, much as he did on the acclaimed 2010 Playscape album Impromptu, on which he addressed a cohort of 19th century classical themes, and last year's Wonderland,
a far-flung recital of songs associated with the winter holidays,
Rosenthal references a broad range of jazz history and expression in presenting the Gershwin tunes.
"One
thing I enjoy is taking a standard and finding my own way to present
and play it in the jazz trio context," Rosenthal says. An example is
"Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," on which he sets up a sly, witty,
smoky ambiance that mirrors the lyric and melody, creating simple
cohesive phrases, deploying a force-of-nature left hand, swinging deeply
at a slow-medium, adults-only tempo.
Tinges
of Monk infuse the introduction to "Fascinatin' Rhythm," before the
trio launches a brisk, multi-sectional treatment with various rhythmic
twists and turns. Rosenthal cites "a Bill Evans influence" on
reharmonized versions of "I Loves You Porgy" and "Someone To Watch Over
Me," and observes that "Strike Up The Band" and "Love Walked In" are
examples of his "derangements," on which he uses "various rhythmic and
harmonic approaches to personalize the song."
"Some
of my most important influences were pianists who had an historical and
wide-ranging approach," says Rosenthal, particularly emphasizing that
lessons during high school years with stride-to-avant maestro Jaki Byard
influenced his inclusive penchant for embracing the language and
aesthetic principles of jazz piano tradition while restating it in his
own manner. "With Jaki it was almost an absence of dogma. I was drawn to
the idea of being able to play many pianistic techniques. Whether
playing stride or free, I don't feel constrained in any way."
"Gershwin
is almost taken for granted, because he's such a staple of American
culture," says Rosenthal, 54, who himself stands only a degree or two of
separation from Roberts by dint of close proximity to hardcore stride
practitioners like Byard and Dick Hyman. "But he wrote both songs and
extended pieces, and he was a wizard-like pianist who could play his
pieces all night at a party to dazzle the party-goers, especially the
ladies. When I think about my musical identity, I'm also a pianist,
composer and arranger."
After
graduating from Manhattan School of Music and receiving Bachelors and
Masters degrees in piano performance, Rosenthal spent the next decade
gigging around New York on freelance jobs with the likes of Phil Woods,
Ron Carter, Mel Lewis, Clark Terry, Grady Tate, and Lionel Hampton,
among others. In 1992, the pianist also joined Gerry Mulligan's Tentette
and recorded three albums and performed in major jazz festivals
throughout the world with the band until Mulligan's death in 1996.
Rosenthal went on to perform as a sideman with artists including Art
Farmer, Jon Faddis, Randy Sandke, Ken Peplowski, Ann Hampton Callaway,
and more.
Despite
his extensive experience as a sideman, Rosenthal has released more than
a dozen albums as a leader. Most recently, the pianist released Wonderland (2013), and Impromptu (2010), on which Rosenthal reimagined classical themes for a jazz trio. Both albums, similar to Rhapsody in Gershwin,
have strong influences and homages but still exhibit Rosenthal's own
attitude and approach: expressive, creative, and sparkling.
Ted Rosenthal's Rhapsody in Gershwin Album Release Performance:
Ted Rosenthal · Rhapsody in Gershwin
Playscape Recordings · Release Date: May 13, 2014
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