| Jazz |
This former student of Kenny Barron is undoubtedly one of the kings of improvisation, all the more reason to delve into this new album, “Standards II,” which begins with one of the most surprising versions of “Over The Rainbow.” As we listen, we are entertained, and we notice that Noah Haidu manages to paint a portrait of it with just a few notes. Haidu sees a certain irony in his current recorded production. “I love composing, but improvisation has always been my greatest passion. When I started releasing music in 2011, I relied on my compositions to make a unique artistic statement, but I completed the circle and realized that finding my own voice on a simple, stripped-down standard is a rare and necessary endeavor.” Haidu is accompanied by two impressive musicians, Buster Williams on bass and Billy Hart on drums. “With Standards II, I committed to playing with my own Standards Trio for my tour,” says Haidu. “I am grateful for the opportunity to build a voice within this canon, and for the incredible response from audiences during our recent tours. While I continue to compose my own music and pursue various projects outside the American Songbook repertoire, my Standards Trio is an important statement for me and an integral part of my identity as a musician.”
In this sense, Noah Haidu approaches that of a visual artist; he lives his music from the inside, seeking the essential, never falling into the superfluous, and redesigning standards that we all know with unparalleled grace. His comrades are also not left behind, each contributing a bit of their personality. Here, we are thus in a form of free rewriting of these titles, which require many talents and above all, a vision that goes well beyond the notes. Noah made his recording debut with the 2011 Posi-Tone release, SLIPSTREAM, which was described in JazzTimes as follows: “With jazz luminaries like trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon in the band… standing out from their powerful performance is quite an achievement, and Haidu does it simply.” The recording received rave reviews and remained in the top 50 of the national jazz radio charts for 8 weeks. Jazzwise described Noah as “undoubtedly one of the most confident and impressive pianists among the new ones.” All About Jazz simply stated, “the guy can play like crazy.” Following the strong compositional statement of SLIPSTREAM, Noah’s first trio album, MOMENTUM (Posi-Tone Records, 2013).
Noah Haidu pushes the boundaries of improvisation far beyond limits, as evidenced by the second track of this album which comes as a mirror recalling the first track, “Someone To Watch Over Me.” Let’s add to the talent of this artist the humor that makes him even more enjoyable… However, I still wonder about the last track of this album, not that I dislike the title, “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good),” it is a pure marvel that closes the album with a radiant double bass, but what meaning should we give to it other than making us crave for a “Standards III” that will certainly come in due time, for this album which becomes “indispensable” due to the quality of the performers and the beauty of their work.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, March 22nd 2024
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Tracklist :
1) Over The Rainbow – (H. Arlen) 10.25 2)
2) Someone to Watch Over Me – (G. Gershwin) 7:56
3) 3) Up Jumped Spring (F. Hubbard)
4) 11:53 4) Obsession (Pedro Flores) 8:42
5) 5) Days of Wine and Roses (H. Mancini) 7:49
6) 6) After You’ve Gone (Turner Layton) 6:04
7) 7) I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) (D. Ellington) 7:45