Joe Gilman
Americanvas
Capri Records
www.caprirecords.com
By George W. Harris

Here’s a clever idea by pianist/composer Joe Gilman; put together an album that is made up of musical interpretations of 10 American painters. Sort of a US version of Pictures At An Exhibition, so to speak. The team of Gilman with Ben Flocks/ts-ss, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown/ss-as-ts, Zach Brown/b and Adam Arruda/dr-perc is assertive in the sense of Jackie McLean-styled edgy hard bop. Think Jackie’s Bag or One Step Beyond and you’re in the ballpark.

Tunes dedicated to Edward Hopper (“Nighthawks”) have a nourish edge, while the Keith haring inspired “Monkey Puzzle” has a musical homage to Thelonious Monk with its jumping intervals. Even Maurice Sendak’s classic “Where The Wild Things Are” gets a nod with a sense of wonder being delivered by the two horn players. Moods go from impressionistic to spherical, just like wandering around a museum of modern art. Fans on the dangerous side of bop will have a fun stroll here.