MARTIAL SOLAL - Coming Yesterday - Live At Salle Gaveau 2019
Challenge Records CR73516
Martial Solal (piano)
Sad to know that this album is the last that Solal will record. It is another celebration of the work of a man that has written the music for Jean Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ that has worked with Bechet, Konitz, Griffin, Grappelli, Liebman, above all, a man, who like Konitz, has worked with standards as the basis for his improvising.
The Solal technique is breathtaking, the Solal creativity is enrapturing, the inventiveness is all consuming, humour is never far away. People smile at Solal’s concerts. Sometimes, Solal is accused of being cold, cerebral. It is a pity that there isn't a Norman Granz to take Solal into the studio for an extended period, to record him extensively as Granz did with Art Tatum towards the end of Tatum's life so that we can make a complete assessment.
Solal played for most of his life in France with occasional forays to other countries. There is such a thing as Gallic jazz. It's possible to hear it in Solal, in Petrucciani, Raymond Fol, Bernard Peiffer It is clever, inventive, almost brittle, quicksilver, cool almost to the point of cold, a little like champagne, bubbly, refreshing, complex and moreish.
Obviously, Solal chooses pieces to work with ones that he loves: Ellington, Monk, Gershwin,Rodgers and Hart are favourites. To him, they are like topics of conversation, sparking ideas. He has used them before but he realised at the time that he had more to say. Sometimes he is impish, sometimes dramatic, sometimes satirical.
It is not easy to think of a pianist who shows as much pleasure at what he does, he bubbles with inventiveness. This final record shows most of his virtues: the playing as always displays perfection, these are pieces that he played endlessly without ever exhausting them or himself.
The compositions here have a richness, there is a recycle of Ellington pieces played with variety of resources There is wit and virtuosity in abundance with an ability to deal with any improvisational situation. It is not an exaggeration to say that any of Solal’s recordings can stand comparison with the great pianists: Earl Hines, Bill Evans, Art Tatum, Lennie Tristano.
When Solal plays on his own, his imagination is freed. He is a superb editor, he cuts and shapes. He has an almost infinite number of ways of delivering a theme and extending his ideas. His main concern is to develop and resolve his musical arguments without the indulgence of empty virtuoso displays. Sometimes the melody is hidden and then it will appear as if by accident. Real improvisation and spontaneity is not as common in jazz as many think, perhaps because it is difficult. Solal does improvise and his kind of improvisation is quite rare in jazz. Musical intelligence is at the core of what he does and out of that comes the sound of surprise.
With Solal there is always a pact with the audience. The Solal audience needs to listen intently, needs to know the standards well in order to appreciate how radical, daring and ingenious his recomposition is. It is probably true to say that such an audience is not as common as it was.
Thank you, Martial. You have left so much to enjoy. Now, you, sit back and enjoy the rest of your life.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Challenge Records CR73516
Martial Solal (piano)
Sad to know that this album is the last that Solal will record. It is another celebration of the work of a man that has written the music for Jean Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ that has worked with Bechet, Konitz, Griffin, Grappelli, Liebman, above all, a man, who like Konitz, has worked with standards as the basis for his improvising.
The Solal technique is breathtaking, the Solal creativity is enrapturing, the inventiveness is all consuming, humour is never far away. People smile at Solal’s concerts. Sometimes, Solal is accused of being cold, cerebral. It is a pity that there isn't a Norman Granz to take Solal into the studio for an extended period, to record him extensively as Granz did with Art Tatum towards the end of Tatum's life so that we can make a complete assessment.
Solal played for most of his life in France with occasional forays to other countries. There is such a thing as Gallic jazz. It's possible to hear it in Solal, in Petrucciani, Raymond Fol, Bernard Peiffer It is clever, inventive, almost brittle, quicksilver, cool almost to the point of cold, a little like champagne, bubbly, refreshing, complex and moreish.
Obviously, Solal chooses pieces to work with ones that he loves: Ellington, Monk, Gershwin,Rodgers and Hart are favourites. To him, they are like topics of conversation, sparking ideas. He has used them before but he realised at the time that he had more to say. Sometimes he is impish, sometimes dramatic, sometimes satirical.
It is not easy to think of a pianist who shows as much pleasure at what he does, he bubbles with inventiveness. This final record shows most of his virtues: the playing as always displays perfection, these are pieces that he played endlessly without ever exhausting them or himself.
The compositions here have a richness, there is a recycle of Ellington pieces played with variety of resources There is wit and virtuosity in abundance with an ability to deal with any improvisational situation. It is not an exaggeration to say that any of Solal’s recordings can stand comparison with the great pianists: Earl Hines, Bill Evans, Art Tatum, Lennie Tristano.
When Solal plays on his own, his imagination is freed. He is a superb editor, he cuts and shapes. He has an almost infinite number of ways of delivering a theme and extending his ideas. His main concern is to develop and resolve his musical arguments without the indulgence of empty virtuoso displays. Sometimes the melody is hidden and then it will appear as if by accident. Real improvisation and spontaneity is not as common in jazz as many think, perhaps because it is difficult. Solal does improvise and his kind of improvisation is quite rare in jazz. Musical intelligence is at the core of what he does and out of that comes the sound of surprise.
With Solal there is always a pact with the audience. The Solal audience needs to listen intently, needs to know the standards well in order to appreciate how radical, daring and ingenious his recomposition is. It is probably true to say that such an audience is not as common as it was.
Thank you, Martial. You have left so much to enjoy. Now, you, sit back and enjoy the rest of your life.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
