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Martial Solal: Martial Solal Live in Ottobrunn
Martial Solal
piano1927 - 2024
His love of the great composers—
Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974
Thelonious Monk
piano1917 - 1982
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
George Gershwin
composer / conductor1898 - 1937
Jerome Kern
arranger1895 - 1945
Cole Porter
composer / conductor1891 - 1964
Quite simply, Solal was one of the very greatest jazz pianists. His technique and his musical imagination were both breathtaking. The gap between the ideas and the fingers for most pianists is unbridgeable: for Solal there is no gap. The fertile mind invents variations and multiple rhythms. Solal is simply one of the greatest pianists to have graced jazz. He is in the pantheon with
Art Tatum
piano1909 - 1956
Bud Powell
piano1924 - 1966
Fortunately, Solal chose to play solo at Ottobrunn and that is the best way to appreciate his work. This concert was recorded on December 14, 2018, just a month before Solal's final concert in Paris. Like the final concert, it is difficult to believe that the playing was the work of a man in his nineties. Solal played with all the zest and exuberance of young man intent on establishing his reputation. His technique and his musical imagination were both breathtaking.
Solal's work demands that the listener listen intently. He compels attention. His repertoire is deliberately limited, rather like
Lee Konitz
saxophone, alto1927 - 2020
Ray Noble
composer / conductor1903 - 1978
The challenge from Solal is clear. He credits the audience with sophistication. He seems to say to the audience, "Here is the theme. You probably know it, you have heard it before. Now listen as I improvise on the theme. You can judge the quality of my improvisation because you know exactly what I am doing, how innovative I am. You can hear the variations, judge the quality of the variations." One critic commented that "while Solal's later recordings could be overly rendered to mask a song's original melodies, especially on standards," but they seemed not to realize that was all part of Solal's method.
Solal was an artist. He deconstructed a tune or theme and rearranged the component parts just as Braque and Picasso did with painting, enabling multiple viewpoints. Picasso created his own 45 variations on "Las Meninas," a painting by Velazquez, his graphic improvisations paying homage to the original painter. Solal has created many versions of Ellington pieces like "Caravan," deepening our understanding of the pieces and Ellington.
It is important to remember that Solal liked to joke. Sometimes, he would joke verbally with the audience. He was also happy to create musical jokes. Jazz can be pompous, taking itself too seriously: Listen to "Brother Jack" or "Happy Birthday" as the fugues roll out.
Avoidance of the cliche was Solal's constant quest, and he does avoid them throughout his concert in Ottobrunn. This delightful album is a triumph. It is beautifully recorded and will be evidence for future generations. ">
Track Listing
CD1 My Funny Valentine; Histoire de Blues; Tea For Two; Caravan; I'll Remember April; Brother Jack; Lover Man; Cherokee CD2 Improvisation; Coming Yesterday; Happy Birthday; Here's That Rainy Day; Round Midnight; Koln Duet; My One And Only Love
Personnel
Martial Solal
pianoAlbum information
Title: Martial Solal Live in Ottobrunn | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: GLM Music EC 607-2
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