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Marc Copland Quartet: Someday

By Dan McClenaghan
December 9, 2022
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Marc Copland is a former saxophonist who found his instrument artistically confining for the purposes of expressing his vision. So he called on his childhood piano training (synaptic memories intact) to make the switch to the keyboard. The results have been magic. His artistry with the 88s is second only to the late

Bill Evans

piano
1929 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans, and an argument for his surpassing of Evans could be made. His discography boasts more than forty albums as a leader, beginning in 1988 with My Foolish Heart (JazzCity), but his profile rose steeply when he connected with Pirouet Records, on the trio outing Some Love Songs (2005), and his triptych of New York Trio Albums for the label: Vol.1 Modinha (2006), Vol. 2 Voices (2007), and Vol. 3 Night Whispers (2009), with a musical chairs shuffle of all-star trio mates.

The bottom line: Marc Copland is probably best known for his trio work. With the possible exception Bill Evans, nobody has consistently worked the format with such finesse and success, with such a deft subtlety of touch and harmonic depth, and created such stunning beauty.

But Copland's work with horn men should not be overlooked. Trumpeters

Ralph Alessi

trumpet
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Ralph Alessi,

Randy Brecker

trumpet
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Randy Brecker and Tim Hagan, as well as saxophonists

Greg Osby

saxophone
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Greg Osby and

Dave Liebman

saxophone
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Liebman, have contributed their artistry to Copland's recordings. Now, with Someday, Copland enlists saxophonist

Robin Verheyen

saxophone
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Robin Verheyen, in a quartet outing that includes veteran bassist

Drew Gress

bass
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Drew Gress and drummer

Mark Ferber

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Ferber. Considering the previously-mentioned Pirouet releases, this is less identifiable as an allstar affair. Drummer Ferber and saxophonist Verheyan do not have the high-end profiles of Copland's previous recording mates like bassist

Gary Peacock

bass, acoustic
1935 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Peacock or guitarist

John Abercrombie

guitar
1944 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">John Abercrombie or drummer

Paul Motian

drums
1931 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Motian. But all three are both locked into Copland's vision of how things should sound—the elasticity of melody, the fluid spontaneity, the zest for surprises and the embrace of beauty. The result: one of Copland's finest efforts, and certainly his best quartet outing to date.

The disc opens with the familiar "Someday My Prince Will Come." Copland sidles into the melody as if it is something sacred. Verhetyan follows him there, opening the church doors for Gress and Ferber, who join in the creation of a four-way prayer, hushed and reverent. The Copland original "Spinning Things" follows, featuring edgy four-way interplay. Ferber's drum work leans toward the unorthodox, with an approach that brings

Paul Motian

drums
1931 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Motian and

Jon Christensen

drums
1943 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Christensen to mind. Copland's solo floats on a cloud. His touch here is unaffected by gravity, delicate and flowing, lighter than air, as it always is on his solo projects—the terrific Nightfall (InnerVoiceJazz, 2017) and breathtaking John (Illusions Mirage, 2020).

"Dukish" was written by Verheyen. It is a tribute to

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington, with the author blowing in the tenor sax's higher register with a gentle touch, taking alto saxophonist

Johnny Hodges

saxophone, alto
1907 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Hodges' chair inside a spare arrangement.

Included also are two more standards—

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk's "Let's Cool One," which sounds as if it was a lot of fun to play, and the closer,

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis' "Nardis," with Verheyen bringing

Ben Webster

saxophone, tenor
1909 - 1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Webster to mind.

The keys that open the door to welcome this album to the status of Copland's Best Quartet set: Gress, Verheyan and Ferber's flexibility and compatibility with Copland's long-established concept of finessed beauty featuring memorable melodies embedded in washes of harmonic depth with their sideman immersions into the leader's magic.

Music is magic in this group's hands, and Marc Copland is the master magician.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Someday My Prince Will Come; Spinning Things; Dukish; Let's Cool One; Round She Goes; Encore; Day And Night; Nardis.

Personnel

Marc Copland

piano

Robin Verheyen

saxophone

Drew Gress

bass

Mark Ferber

drums

Album information

Title: Someday | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: InnerVoiceJazz

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