I'm happy to say that Ehud
Asherie adheres to a long admired tradition that informs us that it's okay to
swing. And on his latest CD he does exactly that on a menu of eight tunes
covering a wide array of eras and tempos. He is joined by two highly regarded stars
of the New York
jazz family in Peter Washington, bass and Rodney Green, drums. There are
numerous highlights here, so let's examine at least a few! The title tune, "Wild
Man Blues", is a rather rare entry from two jazz giants, Louis Armstrong
and Jelly Roll Morton. It is followed by one of two Charlie Parker tunes,
"Parker's Mood", a staple in the Bird book. The other Parker
composition is "Chasin' The Bird", a complex little melody line
which, I would imagine, many other pianists would be hesitant to take on. Other
favorites include classics "Flying Down To Rio", the exquisite
"Autumn Nocturne", and a heartfelt ballad version of "Oh, Lady
Be Good". Finally, there's an infrequently heard Dizzy Gillespie tune with
a distinctively Latin tinge, and with the odd title "And Then She
Stopped". Let's be clear: Ehud Asherie is a piano marvel who has done his
homework. He plays all the right notes and no tune worthy of playing is outside
his sphere.
Capri
Records; 2019; 46:47
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