Featured Albums: The Top 7 Albums Out On Sept. 3
Israeli saxophonist Asaf Yuria’s Exorcisms is an old school album, or mostly a vintage hard bop excursion. One can tell Yuria grew up on the great Blue Note era of the 1960s with artists such as Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers,
So, in that case, the “spell” is clearly jazz, and the “magical formulas” are made of swing, grooves, and rocking rhythms, performed by an ensemble of New York’s finest musicians, ready to free listeners from every negativity.
While Lightsey stays to the familiar niche of quaint jazz, he brightens it with a rainbow of emotional colors. Fittingly enough for his first solo recording in 35 years, the artist refers to it as "a lesson in patience." Deceptively tricky chords sound smooth and downright leisurely; there's a subtle streak of swing in the grooving, but of course it makes the warm mood no less buoyant. Playfully gliding through his favorite Wayne Shorter repertoire or turning "Giant Steps" sedate enough for some pretty evocative shades, Lightsey molds each complex piece so that there's nothing in the way of the simple heart.
Les harmonies modernes, au sens du début du XXe siècle, pleines d’éclats, cristallines sous les doigts savants de Kirk, se combinent avec les qualités d'expression du pianiste et son imaginaire pour 36 minutes d’une exceptionnelle beauté.L’intensité, la profondeur de l’expression, la puissance de l’imagination font de ce disque une belle œuvre.
At 84-years-old, Kirk Lightsey makes his return to solo piano for the first time in decades on a new full-length titled I Will Never Stop Loving You. This intimate recording showcases the renowned pianist’s characteristic sophisticated improvisations and nuanced delivery, as he revisits some of the most cherished compositions in his repertoire.
Lightsey’s playing is always distinctive and he sounds right on the top of his game. His version of John Coltrane’s Giant Steps has a wonderful lightness of touch about it, as does Nicholas Brodsky’s title track which album Jojo Records owner/producer and guitarist Simon Belelty requested after hearing Lightsey perform it live. It went down in one take and is gorgeous. The remaining two tracks are Tony Williams’ Pee Wee from Miles Davis’ Sorcerer and Phil Woods’ poignant Goodbye Mr Evans.
“I Will Never Stop Loving You ” (Jojo Records), a solo piano outing of idiosyncratic lyricism.
I Will Never Stop Loving You on JOJO records approach that is so rare to hear in today’s frenetic times.
Lightsey takes the tune at a strolling tempo, unhurried but with purpose, and extemporizes with a master's flair.
Remarkable piano jazz Kirk Lightsey "Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum" I Will Never Stop Loving You (jojo Records) 25:03
Lightsey has an innate ability to extract beauty and sensitivity from the songs he covers, endowing them with a leisurely approach and spectacular sensitivity.
Sounds like a classic from the Great American Songbook.