JOEY CALDERAZZO
Amanecer
Marsalis Music
Joey Calderazzo is well known to modern jazz
fans as an integral part of some of the major ensembles
of the last twenty years. Emerging with Michael Brecker’s
group in 1986, he has also worked with Rick Margitza, John
Blake, and Bob Belden. Sine 2000 he has worked with Branford
Marsalis’ quartet, contributing both his excellent
playing as well as his compositional skills to albums such
as The Eternal and Braggtown. He cut three
good albums, all now out of print, for Blue Note as well
as several for independent labels, none of which garnered
much attention. In 2004 he released Haiku on the
Marsalis Music label, his first venture as a solo pianist.
That release, while it demonstrated Calderazzo’s abilities
as a pianist, did not really bear the imprint of his own
style. His newest, (mostly) solo release Amanecer,
is a strong step forward for this talented musician.
Reportedly, Calderazzo spent a lot of time
between Haiku and Amanecer listening to
pre-bop jazz pianists, and it shows in the way that he now
brings the left hand into play as a stronger rhythmic force.
On the opening track, “Midnight Voyage,” a tune
Calderazzo composed and originally performed with Brecker’s
group, one can hear the influence of pianists like Earl
‘Fatha’ Hines and stride masters like James
P. Johnson. As a result, “Midnight Voyage” is
completely reworked in a way that will likely render it
unrecognizable to many listeners. Or listen to his rendition
of the standard “I’ve Never Been In Love Before,”
where Calderazzo’s voice breaks through in a seemingly
unbridled, spontaneous performance. Clearly, the time spent
touring and playing between Haiku and Amanecer
has been extremely fruitful for him.
Calderazzo excels at playing ballads and songs
with strong, singing melodic lines, and he displays his
skills to their fullest on Amanecer. His performance of
Michael Brecker’s composition “Sea Glass”
is exceptionally sensitive and beautiful. Calderazzo also
reworks some of his own work to bring out the elements of
song and lyricism more fully. The title track, with lyrics
by singer Claudia Acuña, is a reworked version of
another piece from his Brecker days, originally recorded
with the title “Cat’s Cradle.” As always,
it’s a pleasure to hear Acuña, one of the purest-voiced
singers working in the jazz idiom today. She shares songwriting
credits with Calderazzo on “So Many Moons,”
one of several Latin-influenced tracks that appear at the
disc’s center section. Caladerazzo and Acuña
are joined on “Amanecer” and “Lara”
by Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo, whose lightness adds
to the proceedings. Lubambo also joins Calderazzo for a
duet performane of Calderazzo’s “The Lonely
Swan,” a piece that appeared on the recent Brandford
Marsalis CD Eternal, heard here with more explicit
samba overtones.
Calderazzo also puts his imprint on the classic
Bill Evans composition “Waltz For Debby,” which
he removes from strict waltz time and gives a performance
that balances the lyrical Calderazzo with Calderazzo the
accomplished technician perfectly. It is one of the signposts
on Amanecer that indicates that Joey Calderazzo
is moving into new areas of self-discovery as an artist,
and that future will likely show even more facets of his
talent.
