Paul Cornish, the pianist here on snappily named saxophonist Gregory Groover Jr‘s latest for Dutch label Criss Cross Jazz, has had quite a year.
His album for Blue Note worked well.
Even better was his role (think quality pianism in the wake of Glasper and Moran, maybe even James Francies a bit) on Joshua Redman’s beautiful Words Fall Short. Gregory Groover Jr is a Redman type player so the fit is good. Tunes are winning. They are mostly the tenor saxist’s.
Interesting and a good choice is the treatment of Jason Moran Soundtrack to Human Motion (Blue Note, 1999) number ‘Retrograde’. I don’t know of any covers of it hitherto.
Bassist Harish Raghavan makes a strong showing on ‘Sumner’ and the voicing of vibes (Joel Ross) in context adds piquancy on what is a very bittersweet, sentimental number. There’s no sting in the tail, mercifully.
I was and remain very fond of Lovabye and Old Knew is just as lovable. Next task is clearly to hear Groover live, somehow, somewhere.
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Alcyona Mick and Liam Noble, Distant Plains: The Planets Revisited, Caliban Sounds/One Little Independent ***1/2
Two become one in the moment
