“What makes Chestnut the best jazz pianist of his generation is a willingness to abandon notes and play space.” –Josh Tyrangiel, Time Magazine
For over 20 years, Baltimore native pianist Cyrus Chestnut has been delivering the goods—swinging, gospel/blues inflected, largely original compositions that “keep the faith” of tradition in a modern context. With over a dozen releases and hefty archive of accolades, Chestnut never rests on his laurels, and his latest trio release, Journeys, is arguably his best collection yet. With current touring partners, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Neal Smith, Chestnut introduces 9 new compositions and a spirited reading of the Rodgers and Hart classic, “Lover.” Throughout the set, one hears an amalgam of Chestnut’s influences, from Jelly Roll Morton to Oscar Peterson to Tommy Flanagan to Bud Powell to Ahmad Jamal and (maybe most important in recent years), former mentor Betty Carter – Chestnut embodies the history of jazz at every turn.
The set launches in high spirits with “Smitty’s Joint,” the fast-paced lines and bouncy chords ripe for toe-tapping and full –body swaying; young Dezron Douglas adds a punchy solo and Smith spatters and pops. The one standard, “Lover,” rather than sultry or sentimental, swings casually, Chestnut injecting little spaces that add playful tension and stretching lines with boppish twists and Petersonian flourishes. “Eyes of an Angel” and “New Light” take pages from the thick (and slightly Latinized) voicings of McCoy Tyner; the crystalline musings of “Little Jon” hint at the rhythmic sleight-of-hand of Ahmad Jamal; “Yu’s Blues” has traces of Jarrett, even Moran, with Douglas nearly stealing the show with his deep-throaty basslines; “In the Still Hours” recalls traditional spirituals as much as modern prayer. Perhaps most masterful of all, the closing “Goliath” begins as a gentle hymn, evolving into a boldly delicate incantation with rhythmic variations that sustain the track through its nearly nine minutes; Douglas sends his double-stop filled meditation skyward, with Chestnut unleashing a spate of aggressive lines before returning to a closing verse of solemn restraint.
Journeys reaffirms Cyrus Chestnut as a major force in mainstream piano jazz, as performer, composer, and bandleader.
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