Covers of Thelonious Monk pieces occur regularly during Brian Haas' solo piano collection entitled The Truth About Hollywood, a bit like photos of the Sphinx or the Grand Canyon in a travel brochure. Several self-composed Haas pieces involving more extended improvisation, a pair of them quite lengthy, provide the main contrast in terms of material. In both this set of acoustic piano performances and Haas' work with bands such as Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and the Dead Kenny Gs, the young pianist from Oklahoma has proven to be original and clear, attributes that are part of both his playing and his musical concepts. The sound of the piano is something remarkable here: it feels like the piano is in the room; it is more like the listener has fallen and is lying underneath the instrument, listening to reverberations coming back up from the floor. The music brings to mind many images but particularly one of comfort, of friends gathered around the piano on a summer night with nothing strenuous to prove, listening to one in their midst whose inspirations are diverse, moving. Haas does not hold back on melodic implications, passages in which sentimentality lingers with a sureness, the knock on the door ten minutes after a Mormon is spotted canvassing a neighborhood. His concentration, sense of timing, and flagrant placements of classical piano motifs are all aspects of why these performances are so interesting. As for the Monk, while there is always room for improvement in any interpretation, the rollicking ragtime and stride rhythms chosen certainly set an enjoyable mood.
© Eugene Chadbourne /TiVo