George Cables
Too Close for Comfort
HighNote Records HCD 7335
Essiet Essiet, bass • Victor Lewis, drums
HighNote Records HCD 7335

Track listing:  Too Close for Comfort • Circle of Love • This Is My Song • Klimo • For All We Know • Crazy Love • Roses Poses • I’ve Never Been in Love Before • Teddy • A Valentine for You

George Cables should be declared a National Treasure.  As a pianist he is surely second-to-none on today's jazz scene.  Listen only to “A Valentine for You” on Cables' current offering to hear what a jaw-dropping beauty of tone he can produce from the pile of wood and metal we call a piano, and how much critical mass is behind every sonorous voicing of his chords.  As a musician he possesses endless imagination and creativity, shown by his strikingly new takes on tunes we thought we knew, particularly the title track, “Too Close for Comfort,” which retains little trace of its pop song origin.  As a composer he has quietly amassed a catalog of works of extremely wide range and extraordinary quality, such as his compositions on this new release, “Circle of Love,” “This is My Song,” “Klimo” and the aforementioned “A Valentine for You.”  And finally, the album’s cover photo perfectly captures George Cables the man – full of boundless energy, a love of his instrument and the music he makes on it and an impish sense of humor, evidenced by his titling the record TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT during a pandemic where social distancing has become the order of the day.  The artist Edward Hopper said, “Great art is the outward expression of an inner life of the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world.”  That would explain why the world according to George Cables is such a wonderful place to be.

Too Close for Comfort

too Close for Comfort

"Too Close For Comfort" from George Cables' TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT -- HighNote Records

Chick Corea: Christal Silence (Solo Piano)

Pianist Art Hirahara explores a philosophical approach to music on “Ascent," his new EP of solo performances. Hirahara masterfully employs a full palette of harmonic landscapes, melodic motifs, and fascinating rhythms to create a series of brilliant performances that are elegantly lyrical and clearly evocative of the artist’s transcendent musical sensibility. With this focused and evocative program of music, Hirahara continues his “Ascent” into the hearts and minds of his audience, and is certain to bring bright moments of intense delight to listeners everywhere.

Ascent

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Art Hirahara - Verdant Valley

Pianist Jon Davis keeps "Moving Right Along" with unstoppable melodic sensibility and a wide palette of styles and sounds on his second release for Posi-Tone.  Joined on the date by the capable accompaniment of bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi, Davis follows steadily in the direction of his previous release "One Up Front" and quickly establishes a tone for the date with bold statements of stunning musicianship and his programmatic choices.  Whether one is already familiar with the music of Jon Davis from his earlier work or discovering him for the first time, his latest effort "Moving Right Along" is sure to bring smiles to jazz fans and serious listeners everywhere.

Jon Davis - Moving Right Along

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Got A Lot Of Livin

Exercise 23 for jazz course at Futurelearn with Ray D'Inverno.
Autumn leaves by Joseph Kosma
Standard and chord sequence provided by Ray D'Inverno. 
I made some changes to the arrangement provided by Ray D'Inverno since I cannot play it as he does. Some alterations to the suggested rhythm and tune, some ornaments. I also added a tiny impro and at the end, I played part of the tune again but with a variation. 

Recorded in a Yamaha CP.40 and exported with Audacity

Chick Corea: Christal Silence (Solo Piano)

Stefan Kaeshammer

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