Eldar Djangirov Rhapsodize

Eldar Djangirov
Rhapsodize
Twelve Tone Resonance, LLC

Pianist Eldar Djangirov came to this country from the former Soviet Union and soon established himself as a child prodigy, appearing on Marian McPartland's piano jazz at the age of 12, and had released two albums before he attended the University of Southern California on a full scholarship. He signed with Sony at the age of 17 and released several critically acclaimed recordings for that label. About 2011's "Three Stories," a solo piano recording, I observed, "Eldar's virtuosity and command of the classical and jazz traditions is astonishing." Listening to this recording reinforces that observation.

On "Rhapsodize," Djangirov leads a trio with Raviv Markovitz on bass and Jimmy Macbride on drums. They complement and add heat on this recording that opens with a tour de force rendition of "A Night in Tunisia." On this, Djangirov inspired playing conjures up Bud Powell crossed with Chucho Valdes with a breathtaking improvisation with him handling the breakneck tempo and tempo shifts with the preciseness of his touch, like a Gold Medal skier negotiates a shalom course. "Anthemic" is an original built upon a captivating left-hand riff for an exciting performance set against a tumultuous backing. His further showcases his ability to develop a solo over a simple motif is also displayed on "Airport." A relaxed, lyrical take on "Willow Weep For Me," provides a welcome contrast.

Other selections include the percolating bop of "Burn," a meditative interpretation of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun," and the startling "Variations on a Bach Prelude" where his virtuosity is on full display. The remaining selections are similarly impressive. Djangirov's extraordinary technique and musical inventiveness, along with the first-rate backing provided, result in this outstanding recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Eldar Djangirov playing "Night in Tunisia."

Luke Sellick Alchemist

Luke Sellick

Alchemist

Cellar Live



Bassist-of-choice for Russell Malone, Johnny O’Neal, Jimmy Greene and others, 26-year-old Luke Sellick has his debut album as a leader. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, coming to New York he studied at Juilliard where he was mentored by the great Ron Carter who writes the liner notes for this recording.

Sellick has an impressive group of musicians to interpret his nine compositions including Adam Birnbaum on piano and Andrew Renfroe on guitar, who play on all the tracks, and Jimmy Greene on tenor saxophone; Jordan Pettay on alto saxophone; Benny Benack III on trumpet; Mat Jodrell on trumpet; Adam Birnbaum on piano; Kush Abadey on drums; Jimmy Macbride on drums and Andrew Gutauskas on bass clarinet.

After the brief sober “Prelude," ”Q-Tippin’” (dedicated to drummer Quincy Davis) has Kush Abadey channeling Tony Williams with the Latin-tinged groove Jimmy Greene, Mat Koddell and Andrew Renfroe all sounding impressive on a performance that evokes classic sixties Blue Note recordings. “Brothers,” inspired by Sellick’s upbringing, has Jimmy McBride driving the stately, relaxed groove on a lovely theme that Pettay and Benack state before the leader solos followed by Benack’s lyrical playing and a brief break from Renfroe.

"Hymn," a mediation on Sellick's faith, is a reflective piece played at a languid tempo with some thoughtful tenor from Greene. "The Alchemist" is a more energetic number with Renfroe displaying great facility and thoughtfulness on his solo followed by Pettay's spirited alto solo. The relaxed tempo of "Dog Days" backdrops Greene and pianist Birnbaum with Abadey propelling the performance with his rhythmic accents. The charming waltz, "Abacus," features lovely trumpet from Jodrell along with Birnbaum's ruminative piano, while "Uptown!" is a swinging quartet performance enlivened by solos from Renfroe and Birnbaum and then Sellick himself with more outstanding support from Abadey. McBride crisply backs the closing "Home," with a light blue cast and enticing solos from Renfroe, Benack and Birnbaum along with their interplay during the closing bars. 



Throughout the performances, one is struck by the steady anchor Luke Sellick provides on bass, the wonderful musicians and the ensemble work on these intriguing compositions, resulting in some very appealing musical alchemy.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371). Here is a video of Luke Sellick performing.