The Jazz.com Blog
April 28, 2009 · 2 comments
Cyrus Chestnut in Boston
Roanna Forman serves as jazz.com's "ears on the ground" in Boston. She recently reported in this column on performances by Jerry Bergonzi, Stan Sagov, Jimmy Heath and Brad Mehldau. Now she reviews Cyrus Chestnuts recent appearance at Scullers. T.G.
Cyrus Chestnut is a pianist who holds the history of his instrument in his hands, with a command of jazz and classical idioms that comes from decades of playing (and this in a man under 50), and a genuine love and respect for that history. He projects the sense that jazz, like a tree, will only sustain its growth by keeping its roots fully nourishedunlike certain jazz icons among us, who, as Ben Ratcliff of The New York Times recently noted in his article on the documentary series by that name, advocate starting jazz study with the last 15 years. From there, they say, backtrack, not putting too much emphasis on the old mastersso as not to lose ones own identity.
Cyrus Chestnut, who seems to have embraced everything from Bach to Bill Evans to Elvis, has definitely maintained his identity. With a set of almost all original compositions, Chestnuts solidly burnished pianistic talent was a delight to hear on April 25 at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston. He opened showcasing his great technique on the bouncy uptempo straight-ahead Slick Steps, rolling arpeggios to the top register, harmonizing meandering phrases around the keyboard, inserting polyrhythms, and popping left hand accents over fluid lines. When a tune called for it, he would switch from clean technique to the slurpiest groove, with tremolos or an ostinato over a voice-led left-hand solo. You had to see how long that right-hand figure was repeated to appreciate the accomplishment; its kind of like an Olympic swimmer making it to the end of the pool underwater in one breath.
On Twelve Bar Ballad he alternated a liquid legato with a crisp staccato, demonstrating years of classical training that other pianists, from Oscar Peterson to Herbie Hancock, have also based their jazz platforms on. There was no modal work to speak of, and not a lot of dissonance. Generally, Chestnut is not dissonant or strongly percussive. He is unabashedly pretty when it suits him, as in the melancholy Charade or Love Me Tender, a rendition that took the Elvis tune to another level.
Besides the ballads, a fast-paced Blue Bossa, and a light, sexy closing number, the tunes drew on funk, gospel and Latin influences. The beat was sometimes heavily syncopated, then moved into a straight-ahead feel for the solos. In the bluesy funk piece The Brown Soldier, Cyruss fast, repeated pentatonics and climbing runs gave way to a tasteful smooth groove on Ameen Saleems solo. Saleem has a fat but lithe sound and stands out for his melodic solos and solid time. Drummer Neal Smith did seem to play a bit heavily, which was surprising in a trio with a pianist as nuanced as Cyrus Chestnut.
A solo piano piece drawing from gospel, classical and jazz influences used rich voicings and chromatics in a personal statement that may draw from Cyrus Chestnuts strong religious beliefs, and also showed a level of artistry that audiences might enjoy in a solo piano tour not unlike Keith Jarretts or Brad Mehldaus. Granted, he is a very different kind of pianist, but wouldnt it be fascinating to hear the music he made in less conventional setting with more improvisational emphasis? He might find this as an opportunity to deepen and widen his own musical identity.
This blog entry posted by Roanna Forman
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I agree with your review Roanna, but Neal Smith playing a bit heavy is an understatement. I was at one of these Cyrus shows, and Smith was horrible. When you are listening to a light and pretty waltz with Cyrus' tasteful improvisation being interrupted by a drum solo twice as loud as the rest of the song, it's jarring. It was awful. I asked the sound guy about it after the show and he was at a loss when it came to this drummer's dynamic problems. Every time Neal would solo, it would remind me of when someone wearing headphones on a quiet bus would start talking really loudly to the person next to him. I saw people who were visually displeased, like they were trying to read their newspaper on that bus. And he has been Cyrus's drummer for years!!! eeeek!
I just so happened to be in town during the weekend which Cyrus was performing. I thought the band sounded great. It's always great hearing Cyrus. I thought Ameen and Neal had a great musical hook-up. I thought Neal's performance was great. He played very sensitive, creative and musical. I have seen Neal perform many times. He is one of the best Jazz Drummers on the scene today. From where I was sitting ...towards the front-middle, the sound and balance of the band was great. Neal's solos reminded me a little of Roy Haynes. Ameen really laid in there. I thought this was a great concert and great band.