Bill Charlap - Somewhere

[bebopbob]

Any advance word on this set?

If so, how does it compare with "Written in the Stars"?

[Joe M]

No discussion on this cd yet??? I think the key thing about Charlap is he's working in a style that is supposedly finished, played out, over, and he's carved out a very unique sound and approach, without resorting to gimicks, etc. You can hear him, and he's Charlap without a doubt, which is not something you can say about a lot of other younger mainstream pianists. Also, he's sooooo subtle. Everything he does, the deeper you look, the more you find.

[ghost of miles]

I like the new Charlap a lot--we're adding it to our rotation next week. He definitely has his own sound, though superficially I sometimes hear Bill Evans in his playing.

[Jim R]

I think the key thing about Charlap is he's working in a style that is supposedly finished, played out, over, and he's carved out a very unique sound and approach, without resorting to gimicks, etc.

I agree, and I think this is something that a lot of "progressive" minded jazz fans don't get. The subtlety. The taste. The unearthing of tunes that have been forgotten or under-appreciated. There was a thread at AAJ about this release, and I pointed out this exact concept to someone who was suggesting that Charlap is nothing but a throwback to 50's pianists. A yawn. A backward artist. The guy said he'd rather listen to George Shearing if he wanted to hear this kind of piano playing.

I bought SOMEWHERE relatively recently (didn't get it in March), but I've spun it a few times. I find it at once relaxed and adventurous. The interplay is marvelous on this, and it definitely doesn't work as background music. I have quite a few Charlap recordings, and this is one of the most interesting/challenging, to my ears.

[sheldonm]

I sometimes hear Bill Evans in his playing.

...not necessarily a bad thing !!!

[sheldonm]

I sometimes hear Bill Evans in his playing.

...I wish someone heard Bill Evans in my playing !

[ghost of miles]

I sometimes hear Bill Evans in his playing.

...not necessarily a bad thing !!!

Well, I agree! And I do think that Charlap has his own sound. As far as new piano releases go, it's running second right now to Kimbrough's LULLABLUEBYE for me--and I like them both better than the new Mehldau (although that one, too, has grown on me).

[kenny weir]

Somewhere sounds great to me after having it a few days. I thought the trio's first BN album a little too downbeat (although I'll revisit it) and the second basically ruined by having too many guests.

But this newie ... echoing a previous post, relaxed AND adventurous.

A big plus is that, the obvious (America, Somewhere) aside, this material is all new to me. Lovely tunes.

[Jim R]

Somewhere sounds great to me after having it a few days. I thought the trio's first BN album a little too downbeat (although I'll revisit it) and the second basically ruined by having too many guests.

But this newie ... echoing a previous post, relaxed AND adventurous.

A big plus is that, the obvious (America, Somewhere) aside, this material is all new to me. Lovely tunes.

Good point. Even the tunes that have been done by others haven't been overplayed. I've always loved "Some Other Time" (from "On The Town"), for example. Bill Evans, Art Farmer, Irene Kral, and others have done nice versions of that. "Lonely Town" was recorded by Tommy Flanagan, Mel Torme, and Frank Sinatra (haven't heard those in a long time!). "Lucky To Be Me" is another great one, which was also done by Flanagan, Evans, and Kral, as well as Kenny Burrell, and Eddie Higgins.

[jlhoots]

Great CD (IMHO).

I like a lot of Charlap - e.g. his Venus CDs.

[Free For All]

I've been enjoying this one as well. Very nice arrangements and not all West Side Story tunes as some might suspect- the only reason I mention that is I've grown a bit weary of all the WWS tributes, although I must admit I liked the Dave Grusin. Anyway, Bill chose some great tunes- Lucky To Be Me, Lonely Town, and I've always loved Some Other Time. Yes, I agree, there's more than a little Bill Evans in Charlap's playing- in some of the voicings and harmonic choices and definitely in the way he plays melodies in fourths, a big Evans device.

The trio sounds tight, as if they've worked together a lot, and I do enjoy hearing well though-out and arrangements.

No, it's not particularly innovative, but it's very tasty and it does swing, and those things are enough to keep MY interest.