A fecundity as much as a profundity found here on this latest in the Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic series.
So many top piano players are collected together playing live, 4 to be precise: Michael Wollny, Iiro Rantala, Grégory Privat, and Leszek Możdżer.
Maybe you can’t see the wood for the trees but that isn’t really a problem. There’s a strong cumulative effect.
Not essential but enjoyable nonetheless especially the spirited version of ‘Singing in the Rain’ but it’s not all throwaway jeu d’esprit although fun is an operative word – the classical homages show additional panoramas and the version of ‘Smile’ is of course poignant and gently delivered. 8 hands are better than 2. The audience applause on Ellington/Tizol’s ‘Caravan’ is like the sound of rain and this party piece of a romp in the pianists’ hands is beautifully recorded.
The version of Depeche Mode’s 1990s hit ‘Enjoy the Silence’ which was a highlight of Możdżer’s recent Beamo is also a plus point.
Privat’s ‘l’horloge creole’ which was on his album Yonn is also among the selections. This new version is a bit less dreamy.
Recorded in December last year. On other occasions I’ve heard all these pianists play in different contexts of course separately (Możdżer in Poland and London, Privat in London, Rantala in Sligo and Wollny in London) and they all are extraordinary. Perhaps Privat is the least flamboyant, Możdżer has the greatest chops. Oh to have been in the room last December. By the sound of the audience they had a ball.
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