JazzNights 19

On Friday, January 19, 2007, we will present the nineteenth concert in our series of JazzNights: The Robert Glasper Trio, with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Damion Reid. It will take place at 8 p.m. at the home of Judy Brodsky and Michael Curtis (53 Clarke Court, Princeton). We are asking for a contribution of $50 per person. Later this month we will send out a response form, directions, and a return envelope to all those who have reserved places. You can email reservation requests to Mary at mary@wisnovsky.net by replying to this notice.

Please note: If you reserve now but find that you can't make it, please let us know. We often have a waitlist and can use the space, even at the last moment. We try to keep the costs as low as possible. "No shows" cost us money and inevitably raise the cost to others in the future.

"[Glasper's] trio deserves comparison wuth the best of the newer piano trios, those led by Jason Moran, Bill Charlap, and Brad Mehldau...[this] group has its own crisp, skittering cooperation, with hip-hop in its bounce" Ben Ratliff

Pianist Robert Glasper grew up in Houston, and he recalls that his babysitters were often folks from the church where his mother sang, or waitresses in the blues clubs in which his mother also worked. He "graduated" to playing in the church as well, and attended the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. New York exerted its usual pull and soon thereafter Mr. Glasper was at the New School University, and working in the NY club scene - almost anywhere, truth to tell. Glasper was "discovered" by Anthony Wonsey in a Brooklyn bar called Pork Knockers playing what Glasper describes as a "broken ass keyboard." But better places were in his future, and he became a mainstay at the late (lamented) Brooklyn club, Up Over Jazz Cafe, and active on the Jazz Gallery scene, often with classmates, E. J. and Marcus Strickland. For a lucky few, everything pops up good at once, and Mr. Glasper seems to be such a person. Suddenly, everyone knew about this young pianist. Blue Note signed him in his early 20's as their first new jazz artist in five years, and his first CD for Blue Note, "Canvas," appeared in 2005. A much-anticipated week at the Vanguard followed in November of 2005. Lorraine Gordon supports her favorites at the Vanguard, and she clearly has singled out Mr. Glasper. Excellent reviews by heavyweights such as Ben Ratliff appeared.

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I like "Canvas" (so did many others -Downbeat gave it 4 stars), but in truth, the Glasper CD I still like best is not a Glasper CD at all, but a date led by bassist Robert Hurst, "Unrehurst." Two-thirds of the current trio is there, as Damion Reid is the drummer. "Canvas" is broader, and better reflects Glasper's wider interests in contemporary pop music, but already in "Unrehurst" (and another earlier Glasper CD, "Mood") one can hear the influence of those churches, the consistent playing with odd times, the leaving of spaces for the listener to fill in, and of course, the flat out piano virtuosity. Mr. Glasper, still only in his 20's, has absorbed the classic jazz modern piano influences - Hancock, Tyner - as well as earlier giants - Bud Powell, of course, and, I think, more contemporary masters - Mulgrew Miller, for example. At a recent Steve Nelson date at Merkin, the second half featured a set of brilliant duets between Nelson and Miller. Mr. Glasper was in the front row, leading the applause.

"No matter how fragmented jazz gets, the drive to transform an existing repertory remains one of its big ideas. ...And it happened in the pianist Robert Glasper's deeply impressive performance..." New York Times

Vicente Archer (JazzNights 12) is among the most active of today's young bassists, and one of the most eloquent new voices on his instrument. Besides his work with this trio, he plays these days with the likes of Orrin Evans, Louis Hayes, Jeremy Pelt, Nicholas Payton, and the Mingus Big Band among many others. He studied at the New England Conservatory and Northeastern University with Gene Bertoncini and Danilo Perez. Very soon after graduation, he joined altoist Donald Harrison's group with whom he has often recorded. He has a lovely tone, and imagination to spare. All good jazz bassists must have excellent time senses. In the Glasper trio this quality is even more important than usual, as ot only are unusual time signatures common, but frequently the major voices are going their own ways. It's Mr. Archer's job to hold things together, to anchor the proceedings.

Damion Reid completes the trio. Another youngster, he was educated at the New England Conservatory of Music, and greatly influenced by Billy Higgins. He is already solidly in the modern drumming tradition. No spang-a-lang time keeping here, in this group the drummer is free to go his own way, to play with time on his own, just as do the piano and bass. He is free to comment constantly on the tune at hand, always embellishing, in a sense permanently soloing. There is tons of energy here, and the trio derives much of its intensity - and it can be very intense - from Mr. Reid.

Here are some CDs we like:

Glasper/Reid

Canvas, Blue Note 77130

Mood, Fresh Sound 153

Unrehurst, Bebob Music

Archer:

George Colligan, "Past, Present, and Future," Criss Cross 1262 (highly recommended)

Jeremy Pelt, "Insight," Criss Cross 1228.

Donald Harrison, "Real Life Stories," Nagel-Heyer, 2022.