On this live recording from Switzerland, the underrated pianist
Hal Galper and his trio (
Jeff Johnson, bass, and
Steve Ellington, drums) are joined by tenor saxophonist
Jerry Bergonzi.
Galper sticks to standard jazz repertoire but gives it a very personal touch, taking songs such as
Johnny Mercer's "Laura" and
Thelonious Monk's "Jackie-ing," and crafting new rhythmic material to enhance the familiar themes. Both
Bergonzi and
Ellington lay out for
Sammy Cahn and
Jule Styne's "It's Magic," an inspired ballad feature on which
Galper slides in and out of tempo, with
Johnson on bass following his every step. The album cover features a dictionary-style definition of the term rebop: "A form of jazz improvising by musicians of the post-bebop era that embodies the traditions of bebop but includes the musical advances since that time...." But more than a clinical demonstration of any particular idiom,
Rebop portrays
Galper as a highly individual interpreter of standard tunes and a leader of a sensitive, versatile ensemble. ~ David R. Adler