Lynne Arriale - A Long Road Home (TCB, 1997)

 

Lynne Arriale, piano
John Pattitucci, bass
Steve Davis, drums

Recorded April 1997

Steve Davis Studio

Engineer: Steve Davis

Lynne Arriale began her recording career in 1994 with a series of three CDs on the DMP label. The label was established in 1983 by engineer Tom Jung and was promoted as an audiophile digital experience. I sampled a few titles from DMP, judged the sound to be clean but somewhat clinical, and ended up keeping four albums for my collection. Two of the keepers are by Arriale: When You Listen (DMP, 1994) and With Words Unspoken (DMP, 1996). Both were recorded by Arriale's trio with Drew Gress on bass and Steve Davis on drums. 

Arriale's move to the TCB label led to four albums with Davis on drums. To my ears, the TCB albums sound more natural (less clinical) than the DMPs. More importantly, the performances and arrangements had evolved in a positive direction. Arriale's gentle keyboard style had toughened a bit, and her repertoire had expanded to include more of her own compositions alongside covers of Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and others. A Long Road Home and her other TCB recordings capture these developments.

A Long Road Home begins with an unusual interpretation of Monk's "Bye-Ya." The composer's choppy rhythm is smoothed out to reveal unusual facets of the melody. "Will o' the Wisp" follows: a gorgeous, floating-time excursion over chord progressions that are similar to those on John Coltrane's "Expressions." The same chordal approach is taken on two of Arriale's originals: "The Dove" and "A Long Road Home."

"A Night in Tunisia" shows off the pianist's chops on a fast-paced solo following an unusual halting version of the melody. Arriale approaches the other jazz standards, including Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma," with similar rhythmic variations that add interest. Her version of "I Wished on the Moon" balances the program with a straight-ahead reading of the standard.

Steve Davis is not only Arriale's drummer of choice, but also a recording engineer with his own studio in Yonkers, NY. Sound engineers who are not themselves musicians, let alone drummers, may struggle when recording a percussive drum kit and making it sound natural as well as balanced with piano and bass. Davis's sound on A Long Road Home meets my personal criteria for a well-recorded piano trio. 

Arriale has continued a successful career as recording artist, performer, and educator. Her recordings on Motéma Music and Challenge Records are all worth exploring.