| jesse stacken pianist • composer |
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JESSE STACKEN & KIRK KNUFFKE - Mockingbird: The Music Of Thelonious Monk & Duke Ellington (Steeplechase 31677; EEC) Downtown piano wiz, Jesse Stacken, has a great trio disc out on Fresh Sound from last year that I raved about and is about to have another one on the same label soon. Trumpet man Kirk Knuffke is in Ideal Bread who did a swell tribute to Steve Lacy, as well as having two fine discs as a leader on the 577 and Clean Feed labels. For this duo effort, Jesse & Kirk cover select gems by Duke Ellington and Thelonius Monk, two of jazz's most popular and influential composers. This duo set was recorded live at the Bloomingdale School of Music in NYC in September of 2008 and the sound is just right. Monk's "Light Blue" is first and given a fine treatment with an exuberant piano solo featured. I dig the way the duo twist Monk's "Teo" into fragments at the beginning before Jesse breaks into a strong two handed piano solo. Kirk also takes a great solo without wasting a note riding on top of Jesse's spinning note waves. Duke's "Such Sweet Thunder" is an interesting choice since it is rarely covered by anyone else than Duke's band. The piece rocks slowly with a pensive bass line played thunderously on the low end of the piano with Kirk taking an inspired solo that captures the history of jazz trumpet in a nutshell. Monk's "Reflections" is even more laid back than usual with a sublime trumpet solo that shines softly above the elegant, skeletal piano. "Skippy" is a perfect title for Monk's tune which does skip and rock back and forth in a great old-fashioned sort of way. Ellington & Strayhorn's "Isfahan" is another odd choice but is done with a haunting elegance. I like the way the duo slow down Monk's "Misterioso" to a more dreamy pace until Kirk takes a solo which spins more quirkly on top. "Bright Mississippi" is given a festive, jubilant treatment with a great piano solo featured. I can't recall ever hearing Duke's "Sunset and the Mockingbird" before this, but it is another calm and lyrical gem with some lovely trumpet. This great disc ends with the classic "Four in One", a most difficult tune that is a test of one's jazz chops. The duo do a fine job nonetheless working their way through the nooks and crannies and hairpin turns of this daredevil song. An excellent duo disc on all accounts. |
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