Crispell, Allen & Melford

[B. Goren.]

During the last few weeks I’ve been listening a lot to Geri Allen’s CDs. Since I am also a fan of Marilyn Crispell, I have the impression that Allen was deeply influenced by Crispell. The same impression I get when I listen to Myra Melford’s recordings from the early 90’s. Do you agree with me or I am the only one who has this feeling???

[birksworks]

Three of my favorite pianists! I've never thought of Geri Allen influenced by Marilyn Crispell. Now that you mention it, I'm trying to see the connection, but I don't. I see a closer kinship with Myra, perhaps.

While Geri has her dissonant and percussive side, she swings more than the other two. I'm not sure to whom to compare her, but Cecil Taylor is not one of them. Perhaps my view of Geri Allen is tainted by my knowledge of her marriage to Wallace Roney. I like Wallace Roney (kinda), but the thought of them as a couple strikes me as so suburban. (Of course artists have to live, and the romantic notion of the bohemian squalor of the true artiste is not fair.) But Roney's retro-Miles style makes me unfairly question Allen's integrity.

I forget what record hipped me to Geri Allen, but it was one of those times when you hear a solo and say, "Who the hell was that?"

Returning to my "suburban" cheap shot, I'll say that if Geri was listening to Marilyn, those LP's are gathering dust in the garage along with the Parliament records left over from her pre-Wallace days.

Myra Melford -- maybe. I can imagine Myra listining to Marilyn, and of course, to Cecil. Myra seems to have found the perfect complement to her lyricism in Marty Ehrlich. But it's not the same kind of impressionistic lyricism we find in the Marilyn of "nothing ever was...anyway" or "Amaryllis."

Ok, folks, go ahead and tell me I'm full of it.

[B. Goren.]

Thanks for your reply birksworks.

If we agree on Myra lets talk about Geri. Please give another listen to Geri's recordings with Haden and Motian: Segments and their recording at the V.V.

If you don’t hear any similarities between her playing and Crispell's playing, than I come to a conclusion that it is only my sick imagination…..

Edited April 18, 2004 by B. Goren.