| Jazz |
Some albums simply begin with a wild idea, and such is the case with this one. One day, an idea crossed the mind of composer and pianist Steven Feifke: “What if you created a big band, with the same orchestral richness, the same flair and the same emotion, but with just three musicians?” A prolific musician, here releasing his seventh album in three and a half years, Feifke has indeed pulled off the surprise of this invigorating trio. In January 2023, Feifke, drummer Bryan Carter, and bassist Dan Chmielinski finished a sold-out residency at New York’s Birdland and immediately went into the studio to record their second album as an ensemble. On November 15, 2024, the music they captured that day will finally be unveiled to the public, raising the question: Why wait so long?
There is plenty here to captivate any jazz lover. Undoubtedly, the diverse roles Feifke takes on, including that of conductor, offer him a unique vision of the trio that prevents it from falling into the simplicity of mere improvisation. Everything here is written, structured, and arranged to sound like a big band—minus the brass—and it works! As I continue my analysis, I come across words from Steven Feifke himself that confirm my intuition: “It can be tempting to ignore the orchestration of the trio in favor of a simple ‘jam session,’” observes Feifke. *“When we think of the great titans of the piano trio—Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans—they didn’t just play piano with extreme virtuosity. Their trios—their arrangements—had real energy! I bring the same musical ideas to the trio that I would to a big band, while adding the unique intimacy of the trio.”* The result? More captivating, more powerful, and incredibly spontaneous, even with only three musicians.
As for the question, “Why wait so long to release this album?” it must be noted that just a month after recording Role of the Rhythm Section, Volume II, Feifke won the GRAMMY® for *Best Large Ensemble Jazz Album, becoming the youngest conductor in GRAMMY history to receive this award.
What makes this album even more exciting is that it follows the acoustic trio form, which requires a delicate balance between the three parts—and this is achieved brilliantly here. It’s a true pleasure to listen to these interpretations of pieces that, for some of us, marked our childhood, and this is surely a testament to the genius of this artist, elevating whatever he touches without restraint. The music of *The Role of the Rhythm Section, Volume II* blends Feifke’s original compositions with renditions of standards from the Great American Songbook. The album opens with Gershwin’s I’ve Got Rhythm, which allows Feifke to showcase his virtuosity at the piano while honoring the great piano trios. Given the exceptional quality of Feifke’s arrangements, it sometimes becomes difficult to distinguish his own compositions from the works of other composers, as reimagined by him.
The New York audience is fortunate to witness this trio in concert, and for others, this album, which will undoubtedly enter our “Essential” collection, might be the gateway to discovering this magnificent artist!
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, November 10th 2024
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