Marc Copland has a unique piano approach with instantly recognizable harmonies; a kind of dreamy dissonance that's more gentle than jarring. Listening to his music is like being in a sun-dappled forest glade which is both soothing and mysterious. He's in fine form on this varied material, which includes compositions by
Gershwin,
Cole Porter,
Coltrane, and
Sting, as well as something original (the thoughtful, luscious "Dark Territory") and something traditional (a slow, ethereal "Greensleeves"). The CD is cohesively knit together by the ballad theme and with three brief solo meditations on "My Favorite Things," each different and intriguing.
Copland pays tribute to
John Coltrane (and his own roots as a saxophone player) with the rarely-pianized "Crescent," and swings gently on
Sting's "When We Dance." The trio goes boppish on "Soul Eyes," slow and sexy on "It Ain't Necessary So," and gorgeous on "Haunted Heart," a beautiful tune which has long attracted other lyrical pianists like
Bill Evans and
Fred Hersch. There's strong work throughout from top bassist
Drew Gress, who takes a number of warm, melodic solos, and drummer
Jochen Rueckert, whose well-placed swishes and flutterings add the perfect impressionistic touch but who can also kick it when necessary, as he proves on the superb version of "Easy to Love."
Copland is an original, adventurous player who never loses the audience, and the crisp recording here adds to the enjoyment. ~ Judith Schlesinger