| Jazz |
Summary: Jeff Colella and Putter Smith deliver a remarkable jazz album built on freedom, deep musical dialogue and decades of experience. A masterful piano and bass conversation blending post-bop elegance, emotion and timeless creativity.
A Conversation Without Words: Jeff Colella and Putter Smith Rediscover the Freedom of Jazz
Jeff Colella and Putter Smith do not simply revisit the language of jazz on their new album; they reveal what happens when decades of experience are transformed into pure musical freedom. This is not the first time these two exceptional musicians have shared a recording. In 2014, their album Lotus Blossom already captured the attention of critics and listeners, and this new release appears destined to travel even further. From the opening moments, there is a remarkable sense of liberation, as years of technical mastery give way to endless possibilities of sound, space and expression.
That freedom becomes immediately apparent on the second track, “Anam Cara,” a piece that unfolds with the atmosphere of romantic and nostalgic post-bop. It is the kind of composition that will resonate with anyone who believes that beauty in music often comes from subtlety, patience and emotional depth. What takes place here is not simply a performance between piano and bass, but a genuine dialogue between two masters, an exchange where every phrase, every silence and every unexpected turn become part of a larger conversation.
Jeff Colella has previously released two albums as a leader, Alone Together and Letting Go, both recorded in a trio format and released by Sea Breeze Records. Putter Smith, meanwhile, belongs to that rare category of musicians whose careers become part of jazz history itself. His journey has included collaborations with some of the most influential figures in modern music, including Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Diane Schuur, Lee Konitz, Bruce Forman, Jackie and Roy, Carmen McRae, Gary Foster, Art Farmer, Alan Broadbent, Mose Allison, Bob Brookmeyer, Blue Mitchell, Erroll Garner, Art Pepper, Mason Williams, Percy Faith, Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, The Manhattan Transfer and Johnny Mathis.
Listening to this album brought me back to my earliest encounters with jazz, when I would attend concert after concert whenever possible, discovering artists who were sometimes famous and sometimes almost unknown. Many of those musicians explored a similar spirit of openness, searching for a music built on interaction, sensitivity and freedom, even if few possessed the extraordinary level of experience and refinement displayed by Colella and Smith.
The art of the duo remains one of the most demanding forms in music because it requires a perfect balance between individuality and complete attention to the other musician. There is nowhere to hide, no larger ensemble to absorb uncertainty. Every note matters. Colella and Smith master this challenge with remarkable elegance. Their communication is so precise that the listener becomes aware of every nuance, every breath and every exchange between the instruments.
This intimacy becomes even more apparent when the album is heard through an excellent pair of headphones. One can almost hear Putter Smith quietly singing along with the notes he plays, revealing a fascinating connection between musician and instrument. These are artists who no longer play only for their own pleasure; they create for the listener, offering an experience shaped by decades of curiosity, discipline and artistic exploration.
Such musical empathy does not appear overnight. It is the result of a lifetime of experiences and encounters. Jeff Colella’s career reflects this extraordinary depth, with performances alongside Diane Schuur, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Morgana King, Sheila Jordan, Kenny Washington, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Peter Gallagher, the Bill Holman Big Band, Stacey Rowles, Larry Koonse, Bobby Shew, Bob Sheppard, Judy Wexler, Denise Donatelli, Julie Kelly, Catte Adams, the Mike Barone Big Band, Janice Mann, Anita O’Day, Frank Potenza, Greg Poree, John Pagano, Paulette McWilliams and Miki Howard.
It is difficult to offer a definitive judgment on an album such as this because there are many different ways to experience it. Those deeply rooted in jazz tradition will recognize the language, architecture and references they cherish, while newcomers may quickly understand that this music reaches far beyond stylistic categories. It is not simply an exercise in musicianship; it is an exploration of connection, imagination and emotional truth.
Personally, I experience this recording much like walking through a museum filled with exceptional works of art, pieces created not only for the present moment but for their ability to endure through time. There is something deeply moving in hearing the piano gently trace the contours of the bass lines, and then witnessing the double bass step forward into a solo passage before the piano quietly guides it back into the conversation.
A musical dialogue develops between the two artists, built on trust, anticipation and surprise. Their joy is unmistakable, especially in those moments of call and response where they approach the edge of the unexpected. It is there that the poetic connection between them truly emerges. Beyond composition and technique, collaboration at this level requires a profound understanding between musicians, an ability to hear each other in every possible sense of the word.
Colella and Smith demonstrate that rare form of musical empathy that transforms a performance into something larger than the sum of its parts. This is music that does not demand attention; it rewards it. It belongs to those rare recordings that can transform a quiet evening, turning a room, a good book and a moment of solitude into something unexpectedly profound. The music fills the space, opens the imagination and reminds us that, at its highest level, jazz remains a conversation without words.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, July 20th, 2026
Follow PARIS-MOVE on X
::::::::::::::::::::::::
Musicians :
Jeff Colella, piano
Putter Smith, double bass
Track Listing :
For US
Anam Cara
Laurie
Voyage
Locomotive
Ishahan
Catastrophe
A Prayer For The World
The Gilde
We Will Meet Again