MARK LEWANDOSKI - Waller
Whirlwind WR4703
Mark Lewandoski - bass; Liam Noble - piano; Paul Clarvis - drums
Fats Waller has been an endless fount of inspiration since his twenty-year reign was cut cruelly short by pneumonia in 1943; his timeless compositions continue to be re-worked and re-sold by everyone from blues artists to electro-swing producers. The rise in enthusiasm for swing-era jazz, and all thing cabaret-related, has resulted in many of his classic numbers returning to the musical mainstream - but Waller also has solid credentials as a fountainhead of modernism, with both Parker and Dolphy among the countless players who have re-interpreted his enduring melodies. This album of trio versions pulls both ways. Noble in particular has a reputation as a serious player, equally at home at the edges of the avant-garde as he is in re-interpreting the modern masters - his outstandingly successful tribute to Brubeck attracted the admiration of the man himself. Lewandowski and Clarvis are equally adept on their instruments - in full command of their techniques and fearlessly ready for sophisticated musical exploration.
A large part of the success of this exhilarating record lies in the way that this thoroughly modern trio never lose sight of the playful, hard-swinging and hard-living personality that lay at the heart of all Waller’s music. ‘Blue Because Of You’ is abstracted into a furious be-bop tempo but Lewandowski’s bowed bass solo has all the mischievous melodicism of Slam Stewart - Noble teases at the melody of ‘Jitterbug Waltz’ but never unpicks beyond recognition - ‘Fair And Square In Love’ moves from spacious, Evans-trio restraint into an almost Motown ballad vibe towards it’s close - ‘Lulu’s Back In Town’ allows Noble to hint at radical reharmonisations as the trio tear into it’s venerable structure, but retains it’s vaudevillian swagger throughout. This makes for a recording that feels thoroughly contemporary but is also a lot of fun to listen to - no mean feat. The interaction between the trio is a delight - there’s plenty of use of space, and Clarvis sticks to brushes throughout without sacrificing the ability to cook when needed. ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ is taken at a surprisingly restrained pace, but ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ is given the full treatment and emerges triumphant. ‘Surprise Ending’ is just that - jauntily sung and whistled by Lewandowski in a very English accent, a suitable summation of this successful attempt to stake a place in this well-worked tradition.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Whirlwind WR4703
Mark Lewandoski - bass; Liam Noble - piano; Paul Clarvis - drums
Fats Waller has been an endless fount of inspiration since his twenty-year reign was cut cruelly short by pneumonia in 1943; his timeless compositions continue to be re-worked and re-sold by everyone from blues artists to electro-swing producers. The rise in enthusiasm for swing-era jazz, and all thing cabaret-related, has resulted in many of his classic numbers returning to the musical mainstream - but Waller also has solid credentials as a fountainhead of modernism, with both Parker and Dolphy among the countless players who have re-interpreted his enduring melodies. This album of trio versions pulls both ways. Noble in particular has a reputation as a serious player, equally at home at the edges of the avant-garde as he is in re-interpreting the modern masters - his outstandingly successful tribute to Brubeck attracted the admiration of the man himself. Lewandowski and Clarvis are equally adept on their instruments - in full command of their techniques and fearlessly ready for sophisticated musical exploration.
A large part of the success of this exhilarating record lies in the way that this thoroughly modern trio never lose sight of the playful, hard-swinging and hard-living personality that lay at the heart of all Waller’s music. ‘Blue Because Of You’ is abstracted into a furious be-bop tempo but Lewandowski’s bowed bass solo has all the mischievous melodicism of Slam Stewart - Noble teases at the melody of ‘Jitterbug Waltz’ but never unpicks beyond recognition - ‘Fair And Square In Love’ moves from spacious, Evans-trio restraint into an almost Motown ballad vibe towards it’s close - ‘Lulu’s Back In Town’ allows Noble to hint at radical reharmonisations as the trio tear into it’s venerable structure, but retains it’s vaudevillian swagger throughout. This makes for a recording that feels thoroughly contemporary but is also a lot of fun to listen to - no mean feat. The interaction between the trio is a delight - there’s plenty of use of space, and Clarvis sticks to brushes throughout without sacrificing the ability to cook when needed. ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ is taken at a surprisingly restrained pace, but ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ is given the full treatment and emerges triumphant. ‘Surprise Ending’ is just that - jauntily sung and whistled by Lewandowski in a very English accent, a suitable summation of this successful attempt to stake a place in this well-worked tradition.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
