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Jed Levy: One Night At The Kitano

By George Kanzler
September 6, 2009
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Some live jazz albums transport the listener. If you shut your eyes, you can picture the dim lights of the candles on the tables, the clinking sound of ice cubes falling into glass tumblers... you might even find yourself looking around for someone to take your drink order. One Night at The Kitano makes you feel like you are out at the midtown jazz spot.

Joined by

Bill Mays

piano
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Mays on piano,

Ugonna Okegwo

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Ugonna Okegwo on bass and

Billy Drummond

drums
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Drummond on drums, saxophonist Jed Levy delivers one of the most enjoyable albums of the year. It's also accessible, straight-ahead music that everyone can enjoy. Novice listeners will say "now, that's jazz I'd pay to see live."

That's not to say that it won't appeal to seasoned jazz veterans. Musical complexity and inventiveness abound, especially on the Levy original "Reversible You," which (as the title suggests) applies some structural adjustments to a familiar standard to superb effect. The set consists of six Levy compositions, as well as one standard: a ten-minute rendition of Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," with the leader and Mays at their most inspired.

The disc's opening number, "A Great Week," pays tribute to an engagement Levy once played with the late

John Hicks

piano
1941 - 2006

" data-original-title="" title="">John Hicks. The loving homage offers a lively, up-tempo celebration of the pianist's legacy, with excellent support from Mays.

The rest of the program features a number of mid-tempo swingers that afford plenty of solo time for the featured players. Levy's tenor doesn't recall the gruff aggressiveness of a

Dexter Gordon

saxophone, tenor
1923 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Dexter Gordon or a

Ben Webster

saxophone, tenor
1909 - 1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Webster, being more akin to that of

Stan Getz

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Stan Getz. He's able to navigate the high register and achieve a mellow, romantic tone that, at times, makes you think he's switched over to alto.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

A Great Week; Fallen Eagle; Reversible You; A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing; Limited Means; Match Point; Blues Excerpt.

Personnel

Jed Levy

saxophone

Billy Drummond: drums; Jed Levy: tenor sax; Bill Mays: piano; Ugonna Okegwo: bass.

Album information

Title: One Night At The Kitano | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: SteepleChase Records

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