Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Adam Berenson: Songs from the Garret

Adam Berenson: Songs from the Garret

By Karl Ackermann
February 1, 2023
View read count

Adam Berenson

synthesizer

" data-original-title="" title="">Adam Berenson's Songs from the Garret is a two-CD solo collection but the essence of other composers prowl in the shadows. The lofty album title pays tribute to particular compositions from

Steve Swallow

bass
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Swallow,

Carla Bley

piano
1938 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Carla Bley,

Michael Gibbs

trombone
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Gibbs,

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea and a host of others. Berenson, a well-versed composer/keyboardist, takes the unusual approach (for him) of focusing entirely on covers. The pieces on Songs from the Garret are broadly described by Berenson as "Boston standards." While most of these compositions are not traditional standards, many were considered part of a regular repertoire unique to the Boston music scene.

Berenson typically records in compact settings; his preferred formats are solo, duo and trio. He takes a much wider view in terms of keyboards of choice. On previous Dream Play label releases, he has featured an array of instruments; live electronics on Lumen (2015), Fender Rhodes on Every Beginning is a Sequel (2020), acoustic piano on Assemblages (2021), and a half-dozen sampler/synthesizers on Homages and Worlds (2022). For Songs from the Garret, Berenson utilizes the seventy-six key Sequential Prophet XL, taking full advantage of the instrument's vast capabilities.

There are seventeen eclectic tracks across the two discs. Michael Gibbs' three compositions—"Sweet Rain," "A Family Joy," and "Feelings and Things"— are all from the trombonist's 1970 self-titled debut album (Deram). The Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) native all but disappeared from recordings as a leader, between the 1970s and the 1990s. But he was hardly absent from the music business; his credits include work with

Jaco Pastorius

bass, electric
1951 - 1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Jaco Pastorius,

Gary Burton

vibraphone
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Gary Burton and

John Scofield

guitar
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">John Scofield. Other compositions are from

Lyle Mays

keyboards
1953 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Lyle Mays,

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis and

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman.

It can be ill-advised to compare artists' versions of songs but in the case of Songs from the Garret, such an assessment highlights Berenson's facility with the Prophet XL. The Gary Burton/Chick Corea take on "Falling Grace," for example, is airy, almost delicate, and distinguished by Swallow's bass. Berenson retains the ethereal properties of the original, down to mirroring Burton's supplementary piano and vibraphone enhancements. "Chippie," originally from Ornette Coleman's Something Else!!! (Contemporary Records, 1958) is an exercise in vocal-like pitch, first carried by

Don Cherry

trumpet
1936 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Cherry's trumpet. Berenson rounds out those qualities, simulating the bubbling sound of a B3 organ to give a human voice to the music.

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis' first full foray into electric projects produced the scorching "Petits Machins." In Berenson's hands, the piece takes on a mysterious tension, revamping the mood of the piece entirely.

A single illumination that speaks to Berenson's ability to establish the proprietorship of a cover is "Claude and Betty." From the

Eberhard Weber

bass
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Eberhard Weber/Gary Burton Passengers (ECM, 1977), the original featured

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny, Dan Gottlieb, and the composer, Swallow. Berenson omits the sharper dynamics of guitar and vibes, opting for the synthesizer's fuller but subtle effects. Swallow's own reaction was to praise Berenson's version as preferable to his own recording. Songs from the Garret is a substantial collection that shines where synthesized music is often redundant. Berenson's reading of these pieces is always inventive, and his outstanding musicianship is not dictated by the technology he so deftly employs.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly; Nacada; Sweet Rain; Falling Grace; A Family Joy; All The Things You Are; August; No Mystery; Newborn; Arise, Her Eyes; Petits Machins; Chippie; Feelings and Things; My Ship; Sing Me Softly of the Blues; Sweet Henry; Claude and Betty.

Personnel

Adam Berenson

synthesizer

Album information

Title: Songs from the Garret | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Dream Play Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Wave In Gravity
< Previous

John Coltrane, Dave Liebman and Othe...
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.