Photo by Andrea Canter

I’ve had the good fortune to hear pianist Rick Germanson in live performance several times in the past six months. His multi-layered improvisations and shifting rhythms blend the strong two-handed attack of Tatum, Peterson, and Tyner with the lyricism of Evans, along with a complex, dense approach to improvisation that is all his own. His octave-spanning chords, often in tandem right and left, cover the keyboard at least as often as his single note runs; his rhythms and dynamics can shift in sudden and sweeping cascades like a windstorm swirling on a sandy dune. With rich chord structures suggesting how Van Cliburn might approach jazz, his arrangements of standards provide enough melody to follow the line but sufficient abstraction to constantly provoke his fellow musicians to add new layers of harmony and rhythm.

Germanson brought this unique sense of harmony, movement, and drama to his debut recording, Heights (Fresh Sounds/New Talent, 2003). Noted Bill Donaldson (Cadence), “Without ostentation and with clearly conceived logic… Germanson makes clear to his listeners the narratives of his music. Indeed, one of Germanson's trademarks seems to be his transitioning between tempos to add interest to his arrangements.” The success of this recording was underscored when All About Jazz named Germanson “Best New Talent New York” for 2004.

Now this Milwaukee native and winner of the 1996 Grand Prize in the American Pianist Association Jazz Piano Competition has released another gem, You Tell Me, again on Fresh Sound/New Talent. This one picks up where Heights left off—a set of mostly original compositions that display the richly textured ideas of an ever-evolving pianist. Is there an intentional link between Heights and You Tell Me? Says Germanson, “You Tell Me is a natural, organic progression from Heights. It encompasses an amalgamation of everything that I have been working on or influenced by since the recording of Heights, however, not in a pre-conceived notion.  The tunes and arrangements and improvisation are reflective of who I am now as an artist.”

Whereas the format for Heights included trumpeter Brian Lynch with the rhythm section, You Tell Me is a classic piano trio, with Germanson working in the very fine company of bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Ralph Peterson. In varying combinations, the threesome has worked together in other bands and on each other’s recent projects. “The trio setting is the setting where I feel that I can truly express my ideas,” says Germanson. “It is also the most challenging situation to me, and was something that I was cognisantly working towards.  That being said, I do love ‘comping’ and working as a sideman for the people that I do work for, and fitting in with their music and bringing something of my own to the table. That is another sort of challenge.”

You Tell Me is marked by its spontaneity, the result of “no rehearsal and the recording was done in a mere four hours” as Germanson states in his informative liner notes. The set gets off to a majestic start with the pianist’s “Entropy,” which Germanson describes as “organized chaos.” There’s a definite Tyneresque feel to the strongly sounded chords and light-fingered embellishments that follow and climb the keyboard, and Peterson cuts loose with a snap-crackle-poppin’ solo. “Dance of the Forgotten” moves along with melodic familiarity until Germanson throws in unexpected minor accents; trilling figures pop up amidst solemn chords. “In the Cut” starts with a blatant reference to Bobby Timmons’ classic blues “Moanin’” before taking off at a diagonal. The somewhat jaunty lilt keeps the tune from getting mired in the blues, but rather rises up to embrace it joyfully. In his liner notes, Germanson rightfully salutes Cannon’s “Sam Jones’ inspired solo” that quotes “Pop Goes the Weasel.”

Bubbly but under control, “Theme for Elliott” (written in celebration of the pianist’s son) includes some great lower register bass lines that are echoed by Cannon. Gradually, Germanson moves to more and more embellishment and rhythmic quirks, taking the listener from Evans to Monk. Germanson notes that the arrangement of “Angel Eyes” comes from his duo gigs with Cannon at a Midtown steakhouse. The bassist provides subtle but critical support here, as well as a very classy solo that literally sings.

In this arrangement “as an up-tempo waltz,” Sinatra himself might not recognize the pace and furious improvisation of “It Was a Very Good Year.” Germanson’s liner-note comment that “Ralph truly fires it up here” is an understatement of the frenetic energy that the drummer infuses into this track. His opening gambits ignite from the first bar.

Germanson includes James Williams’ “Alter Ego” in tribute to the late pianist, a distinctive melody with a touch of melancholy. Germanson slides down the scales in his transitions, and you are never sure what will come next--or how he will get there. Never settling into a pattern, he speeds up, slows down, delivers a hesitation or sliding arpeggio, always keeping the tension high. Williams must be smiling.

An outstanding cut, “Erika’s Endeavor” is written in 5/4 in honor of Germanson’s niece. The intro piano solo is exquisitely complex and lyrical. With rhapsodic, Jarrett-like repetitions of phrases, Germanson gradually heats up, as does Peterson. The piano morphs into treble legato figures, and then left and right hands trade-off the lead as the increasing pace builds tension. Cannon offers some soulful vamps of his own, his fingers flying as fast as the pianist’s. Underneath, Germanson works a substantial ostinato figure in both hands, while Peterson’s drums offer a shimmering backdrop.

With Mel Tormé’s “Born to be Blue,” Germanson closes out the recording with a solo rendition of one of his favorite tunes. Listen to his left hand—the baselines are as much a driving force as a foundation. Moving into a slow swing, the rhythm shifts, keeping the listener wondering—what will he do next?

And it is this unpredictability that keeps the tension high and the ears on full alert throughout this recording. With the energy and power of Mulgrew Miller, the mix of chords and lines of McCoy Tyner, and the lyricism of Evans and Jarrett, Rick Germanson proves that Heights was no fluke but just the first step in what promises to be the long and fruitful evolution of a major keyboard spokesman. His sophomore release, You Tell Me, truly tells us that as composer and interpreter, Rick Germanson is a “Fresh Sound” and Big Talent.

Quotes from online interview with Jazz Police unless otherwise noted. You Tell Me is scheduled for public release on June 1, available at your favorite retail or online outlet, or direct from Fresh Sounds/New Talent at http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/newreleases.php. In New York City, Rick Germanson performs with vocalist Carla Cook at the Tribeca Arts Center on June 3; with Tom Harrell and Charles McPherson in Iowa at the Des Moines Art Center on June 4; and with the Tom Harrell Quintet back in New York City at Smoke June 10-11; he’ll be with the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band at the Clifford Brown Jazz Fest in Wilmington, DE on June 12. London jazz fans can hear Germanson at Ronnie Scott’s with Regina Carter, June 20-25. He’ll be back stateside July 8-9 at the Twins Club in Washington, DC. More information about Rick Germanson is available at www.rickgermanson.com