CHUCHO VALDES
Solo – Live in New York
Blue Note
93456
Paul Bley
Basics
JustinTime
JUST154-2
If you think
of solo piano music as something to have on in the background while you
are eating dinner or having a conversation, avoid these new discs by Chucho
Valdes and Paul Bley like the plague. Though Valdes and Bley may not be
household names in the US (though they certainly are in their countries
of origin: Cuba, and Canada, respectively), both can legitimately claim
to have had a lasting impact on the music we call jazz. What each have
to say, as solo artists, is worth hearing.
Bley’s disc is a series of spontaneous sketches and ruminations that
seem to emerge out of nothing. Those hearing Bley the solo pianist for
the first time will be surprised by his loquacious ness. Known for his
spare, less-is-more approach in group settings, Bley pours forth a dazzlingly
diverse array of jazzy riches on Basics. What he comes up with at the
spur of any given moment is mind-boggling. The ideas just keep on coming,
and Bley takes each one, turns it over, and examines it from different
angles until the next idea arrives. The Basics Bley seems to be referring
to are the Basics of successful improvisation: keep it swinging, trust
your instincts, pursue the interesting things, omit the obvious, don’t
be afraid to have fun… It’s pretty lofty Zen-like stuff, yet
it’s immensely entertaining: Bley is a lot like the kid at summer
camp that keeps his bunkmates up all night just cracking jokes and telling
stories. Basics is the best solo piano disc I have heard in quite a while.
Improvisation and spontaneity play a somewhat smaller role on Valdes’
disc. On Solo – Live in New York, he has a definite repertoire and
a clear game plan for each piece. Most of Valdes’ material is drawn
from the popular and folk music of Cuba – this is a wise choice.
Valdes is a superb orchestrator and a master of Latin rhythm. It’s
not hard to imagine how Valdes would have arranged these pieces for a
10-piece band, even though his is working with a 10-finger band here.
Yet, Valdes’ prodigious, classically-honed technique tends to dominate
these proceedings and, after hearing a few dozen cascading 32nd-note runs,
your eyes may begin to glaze over a bit. But Valdes is no empty show-off.
His technical displays come across as an integral part of his music, and
he is perfectly willing, and able, to back off on the flourishes when
the situation calls for a mellower state of mind. As good as it is, more
variety in approach and source material would have elevated Valdes’
Solo – Live in New York closer to the standard set by Bley’s
Basics.
--Dave Wayne
Track Listing Solo - Live In New York: 1. A mi Madre; 2. Munequita Linda;
3. Rumbera Guajira; 4. Besame Mucho; 5. El Manicero; 6. Somewhere Over
The Rainbow; 7. Son; 8.Novia Mia; 9. Delirio; 10. Tres Lindas Cubanas;
11. La Negra Tomasa.
Track Listing Basics: 1. Love Lost; 2. Basics; 3. Speed Kills; 4. Told
You So; 5. Lucky; 6. Chet; 7. Walk Home; 8. Blues Walts; 9. Monk’s
Mood; 10. Early Alben; 11. Startled
Personnel Solo - Live In New York: Valdes – piano
Personnel Basics: Bley – solo piano