Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Leslie Pintchik: Prayer For What Remains

Leslie Pintchik: Prayer For What Remains

By Dan McClenaghan
December 2, 2024
View read count

Leslie Pintchik: Prayer For What Remains

As a doctoral candidate at Columbia University studying 17th-century English literature and working as a teaching assistant, Leslie Pintchik could have moved into a life of academia. But, an old story: jazz called. She wanted a music career. A clear-eyed financial advisor might have tried to dissuade her, pointing out the problems and pitfalls of making a living in jazz. She probably would not have listened. In 2024, with eight fine albums under her belt, she offers up number nine, Prayer For What Remains. Those nine albums say she made the right career decision.

Pintchik works mostly in the trio and quartet modes. Prayer For What Remains features her with a piano trio—piano, bass and drums—augmented on seven of the ten tunes by percussionist

Satoshi Takeishi

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Satoshi Takeishi, who adds sometimes quirky yet subtle textures to the sound, along with saxophonist

Steve Wilson

saxophone
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Wilson blowing on two tracks. Eight tunes are Pintchik originals—and she writes with a gift for pulling melodic beauty out of the air—and a pair of well-chosen covers: The Beatles "I Will" and

Joni Mitchell

vocals
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Joni Mitchell's "Banquet."

Her core trio of bassist

Scott Hardy

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Scott Hardy and drummer

Michael Sarin

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Sarin serve the Pintchik vision well, locking into tight grooves without calling attention to themselves, and Pintchik boasts a concise and elegant touch on the keys.

Melody is the thing. Opening with the leader's dark and melancholy title tune—a breathtakingly beautiful composition inspired by a photo taken by war photographer Joseph Eid of a man sitting smoking a pipe in Aleppo, Syria, in a bomb-ravaged building listening to a record on a manual gramophone. There may not be much remaining, but what does remain must be savored. Saxophonist Wilson joins Pintchik on the tune. His soprano tone is pure gold. It is sad, but it floats on top of an undertone of solemnity and optimism.

The peppy "Later Than We Thought" was inspired by the realization that we are all stumbling headlong toward grim certainty, so—like pop songster Warren Zevon once said: "Enjoy every sandwich." And the tune does indeed give off a glow of the affirmation of the joy of our journey toward becoming, once again, dust.

"I Will," one of

Paul McCartney

bass, electric
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul McCartney's loveliest tunes, is given a straight treatment. The pianist's solo keeps a tight focus while stretching out on the familiar melody; while "Banquet," from the

Joni Mitchell

vocals
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Joni Mitchell songbook, is by turns defiant (nobody does defiance like Joni Mitchell) and mournful.

There is the sense that Prayer For What Remains is Leslie Pintchik showing us her soul. It is a beautiful thing, a straight- through first-rate jazz offering.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Prayer For What Remains; Later Than We Thought; Request Denied; Private Moment; Over Easy; I Will; Banquet; Open Secret; Grief; Just Sayin' (live).

Personnel

Leslie Pintchik

piano

Scott Hardy

bass, acoustic

Michael Sarin

drums

Satoshi Takeishi

drums

Steve Wilson

saxophone

Additional Instrumentation

Satoshi Takeishi: perecussion (1-4, 7-9); Steve Wilson: soprano saxophone (1, 5).

Album information

Title: Prayer For What Remains | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Pintch Hard Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Magnum Opus
< Previous

Dan Pugach Big Band, George Cables, ...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.