In his career, guitarist Dan Rose has performed and recorded in many settings, from avant-garde groups to intimate trios. His recent releases, Last Night and New Leaves, give him an opportunity to perform thoughtful unaccompanied solos and to play intuitive duets with one of his favorite musical partners.
On Last Night, Dan Rose virtually defines “beautiful music” in his solos. He interprets a set of superior ballads with impeccable taste and restraint, letting the music breathe and uplifting each song. His relaxed and thoughtful treatments of such standards, as “Body And Soul,” “Say It Over And Over Again,” “Tenderly,” “What’s New,” “The Folks Who Live On The Hill,” and “Last Night When We Were Young” remind one of how rich those classic melodies are, and how rare it is to hear a guitarist sound very much like an orchestra. Rather than deluge the music with virtuosic double-time runs (which he can supply when it fits the music), Rose serves the melodies rather than the other way around, letting the love songs speak for themselves while he adds his own chord voicings and subtle creativity.
1. Body And Soul (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton) 6:02
2. Darn That Dream (Jimmy Van Heusen, Eddie Delange) 4:26
3. Ellington Medley: Prelude To A Kiss (Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills); Things Ain’t What They Used To Be (Mercer Ellington, Ted Person); Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington, Mitchell Parish) 6:41
4. Say It Over And Over Again (Jimmy Mchugh, Frank Loesser) 4:07
5. Tenderly (Walter Gross, Jack Lawrence) 3:30
6. What’s New (Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke) 3:31
7. Sweet And Lovely (Gus Arnheim, Charles N. Daniels, Harry Tobias) 3:54
8. The Folks Who Live On The Hill (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) 4:11
9. If I Loved You (Richard Rogers, Oscar Hammerstein II) 3:32
10. Spring Is Here (Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart) 4:42
11. Moonlight In Vermont (Karl Suessdorf, John Blackburn) 3:09
12. Last Night When We Were Young (Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg) 3:37
13. Medley: Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn); Detour Ahead (Herb Ellis, John Frigo, Lou Carter); Dreamsville (Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) 6:13
I wrote “The New Leaf” and “Yes I Do” with Claudine in mind, hoping to move into musical areas that were new to us. Both tunes are organic in that one idea moves naturally to the next, thus hopefully leading to a kind of freedom and sensitivity in the improvisations. Claudine and I have been playing together off and on for nearly thirty years and each time new ideas present themselves. For me, the music is always fresh. Her talents - the way she expresses musical feelings -are impressive indeed. It is a distinct and pleasurable challenge to find ways of blending what I think of as my New York jazz sensibility with Claudine’s beautiful classical, jazz and African influences. We hope we have made a recording that allowed freedom in our playing while being musically accessible.
Dan Rose
I composed “Le Désért” many years ago. When I started going to Africa I only visited the northern area where the Sahara is rich with many unique species – animal and vegetal – and surprisingly strong contrasts in landscapes and temperatures. “Mr. Slaint” is a tribute to the late Steve Lacy, whom I had seen in live performances since the 1970s. Among other things, Steve was very close to Monk’s music as well as to the Monk himself. One day I asked him if he could answer a few questions about Monk’s music. Not only did he spend a whole afternoon analyzing tunes on his Swedish piano with red “black” keys, but when I proposed to pay for his time, he answered, with a big smile, “Information is free.” Steve had a “slaint” position when he played the soprano saxophone and also an awkward stance whenever he played a percussion instrument or danced. I met Dan over thirty years ago when he lived in France after he’d recorded his album, Conversations, with Steve Swallow and John Betsch. We started to practice together and found that we had a relaxed and family feeling in the music we made. We developed a sound and a repertoire and went on the road to perform in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. We’ve stayed in touch all these years, even when Dan went back to New York, and with great pleasure came to record this special album.
Claudine Francois
Once again, I feel most fortunate to be able to work with Dan Rose on a recording project. His consummate artistry and superb taste are perfectly served in this set of intimate duets with yet another remarkable musician, pianist Claudine Francois. They work delicate and tasteful wonders on bold, new originals and pointedly chosen covers, and demonstrate how true communication and a fine sense of listening can create timeless expression. I humbly thank the two of them.
Donald Elfman
1. The New Leaf (Dan Rose) 4:56
2. Monk’s Dream (Thelonious Monk) 5:10
3. Ladies In Mercedes (Steve Swallow) 4:44
4. Le Désert (Claudine François) 5:36
5. Señor Blues (Horace Silver) 4:39
6. Lawns (Carla Bley) 5:46
7. Yes I Do (Dan Rose) 5:24
8. Mr. Slaint (Claudine François) 4:44
9. The Seagulls Of Kristiansund (Mal Waldron) 6:00
“A deep, stimulating rapport honed over many years.... Mesmeric...uplifting...powerful...”
– Christopher Loudon, Jazz Times
“Shank and Keezer each have an impressive command of nuance, dynamics and texture.... Their shared reverence is balanced by a desire and ability to subtly surprise their listeners…” – George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune
1. Alone Together 6:48 (Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz)
2. The Music is the Magic 7:33 (Abbey Lincoln)
3. Kneel 8:38 (Jeremy Siskind)
4. Song of Life 4:58 (Norma Winstone / Fred Hersch)
5. Half Moon 4:44 (words: K. Shank / music: G. Keezer, K. Shank)
6. Life's Mosaic 7:31 (John & Paula Hackett / Cedar Walton)
7. When Love Was You and Me 5:02 (Abbey Lincoln / Thad Jones)
8. I'm Movin' On 4:52 (Judy Niemack / Kirk Nurock)
9. Healing Song 4:33 (words: K. Shank / music: K. Shank, G. Keezer)
10. You Are There 5:58 (Dave Frishberg / Johnny Mandel)
11. A Weaver Of Dreams 6:08 (Jack Elliott / Victor Young)
Kendra Shank and Geoffrey Keezer's musical association began in 2008 at the Athenaeum jazz series in San Diego, CA when a cancelled flight prevented Shank's New York pianist from making the gig. With just 30 minutes to rehearse, Keezer stepped in with a seamless performance and instant chemistry with Shank that inspired a standing ovation. Kendra called on Geoffrey's trio for subsequent West Coast tours and their musical connection deepened.
In January 2015, while Geoffrey was in Manhattan on an engagement with Chris Botti, he and Kendra performed an afternoon concert at a friend's home. The intimate duo setting provided the pianist and vocalist unlimited freedom to create spontaneously in the moment, taking the enthusiastic audience on a magical journey that was captured on this Ride Symbol recording.
The title song "Half Moon," inspired by a lamp hanging over the piano, was completely improvised and reveals Shank at her most vulnerable. Keezer's 88-key orchestra of harmonic and rhythmic virtuosity and Shank's exotic wordless vocalizations are highlighted in Cedar Walton's "Life's Mosaic," while the duo's lyricism shines in this first-ever recording of Jeremy Siskind's "Kneel" (winner of ASCAP's Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award). The chart for "When Love Was You and Me" (Abbey Lincoln/Thad Jones) was given to Kendra in 1994 by her mentor Abbey Lincoln when Kendra visited her Upper West Side apartment -- coincidentally in the same building where this concert took place.
Throughout this diverse and inspired set, Shank and Keezer embody the playful inventiveness of making music as interactive partners, transcending the singer-accompanist mold. "Each time we collaborate brings joyful exploration and new musical discoveries," says Keezer in the liner notes. The album's executive producer, Donald Elfman, writes: "What a pleasure it is to hear jazz musicians who fully savor every moment: sharing their experience of creating, listening and playing off each other, and still improvising in individual voices."
January 9, 2017 - Shank & Keezer perform at Mezzrow: 163 W. 10th St., NYC
Sets at 8:00 and 9:30 PM. Admission: $20 general, $10 students.
GEOFFREY KEEZERWith his highly regarded discography, unique compositions, and acclaimed performances in a variety of configurations, Grammy-nominated pianist Geoffrey Keezer commands the attention typically reserved for the living legends of jazz. Whether recording with jazz vocalists Diana Krall or Dianne Reeves, touring with trumpet king Chris Botti, or collaborating with pop icon Sting, sax legend Wayne Shorter, guitar wizard Jim Hall, star bassist Christian McBride or vibes master Joe Locke, Geoffrey "has more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole" (Time magazine). His recent release, Heart of the Piano (2013, Motema Records), redefines solo jazz piano as a personal and interactive showcase of melody, energy and groove.
Geoffrey Keezer's singular style of intellectually abstract lyricism woven over exotically complex rhythms and harmonies makes him one of the most sought-after artists on the modern jazz scene.
KENDRA SHANK Since her 1992 debut at the Village Vanguard with Shirley Horn, Kendra Shank has become a mainstay on New York's jazz scene, has toured in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Canada and the U.S., and has appeared on NPR's JazzSet and Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. Her seven critically acclaimed CDs have garnered numerous “Best of the Year” citations and DownBeat poll recognition, with accolades for her "delectable voice" (Time magazine) and "breathtakingly original concept" (Boston Globe). In addition to leading her NY quartet of 16 years with Frank Kimbrough, Dean Johnson, and Tony Moreno, Shank co-leads a duo with guitarist John Stowell and has performed and/or recorded with Abbey Lincoln, Fred Hersch, Larry Willis, Joe Locke, Jay Clayton, Bob Dorough, Gary Bartz, Steve Wilson, Victor Lewis, Matt Wilson, Ben Monder and many more.
Kendra Shank mixes modern jazz, standards, world music, folk/pop, and open improvisation, all unified by her soulful storytelling, inventive phrasing, and spontaneous group interplay.
Additional Kendra Shank performances:Dec. 30, 2016 & Jan. 27, 2017 at 55 Bar
6:00 & 7:45 PM sets. 55 Christopher St., New York, NY. 212-929-9883.
