Gordon Lee, piano – This Path – OA2 Records

by | Nov 28, 2010 | Jazz CD Reviews | 0 comments

Gordon Lee, piano – This Path – OA2 Records 22076 ****:

(Gordon Lee, piano; Dave Captein or Kevin Deitz, doublebass; Carlton Jackson or Ron Steen, drums; Miguel Bernal, cajon [tr. 4])

Lee is a respected Portland, OR pianist, composer, arranger and music educator. He’s performed around the world and with some of the top names in jazz. His diverse expertise covers avant-garde, symphonic, fusion and big band. The many different influences result in an extremely diverse collection of a dozen tracks which he has composed or arranged. The “Lakota Song” and “Sitting Bull’s Revenge” reminded me of a memorable evening Lee arranged and put together as a tribute to the late Native American jazzman Jim Pepper – composer of “Witchee-Tai-To.” “Sitting Bull” is a sort of reimagining of the classic “Cherokee.”

His use of two different bassists and drummers on the various tracks also adds to the diversity of the sounds. A strong blues flavor permeates “Niney-Nine Niney-Nine.”  On some of the tracks Lee employs big chords and quite complex melodic structures, but he always swings. The first two tunes have an Asian influence. I especially enjoyed his composition “Portrait in Black & White” – one of the longest tracks on the CD, at over seven minutes. Overall a fine collection of varied music which should have considerable appeal to many listeners.

TrackList:
Pao Ma Shan, Dragonfly, Minor Discrepancy, Andalucia, Portrait in Black & White, This Path, Lakota Song, Sitting Bull’s Revenge, Niney-Nine Niney-Nine, Cornbread, Cadenza, Field on the Hill

— John Henry

  

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