PIETRO TONOLO, GIL GOLDSTEIN, STEVE SWALLOW, PAUL MOTIAN
Your Songs: The Music of Elton John

Obliqsound

One of the conundrums of interpreting pop music material in a jazz format is that while pop hits generally have melodic beauty and the element of recognizablility that helps draw an audience in, they are generally harmonically deficient for any kind of serious improvisation. This leaves a few possible strategies for the jazz artist: drastically re-harmonize the song, inserting chord progressions suggested by the more simplistic pop progression; provide an interpretation of the melodic material without any real solos; stick with the familiar harmonic framework and hope the dignity of the music will carry the day. More recently, jazz musicians have taken to deconstructing the piece, changing not only the harmonic structure, but also the rhythmic and melodic structure of a piece of pop music, with increased depth coming from the essential re-imagining of the song, divorced from its lyrics and original emotional content.

Any of these concepts could be applied to the music of Elton John. A consummate tunesmith, John’s harmonic conception is generally somewhat limited. Saxophonist Pietro Tonolo has chosen not to radically alter the harmonic structure of the songs interpreted here. Instead, he works with his rhythm section—Gil Goldstein (piano, accordian), Steve Swallow (bass), and Paul Motian (drums) to change the underlying feeling of the songs, from the beat to the tonal colorations that give each one emotional depth.

Two ballads demonstrate very clearly the way this works. The opening “Blue Eyes” has an old-fashioned jazz ballad feel, sounding like something you might have heard Ben Webster play, though Tonolo has a clearer, yet deeply burnished tenor sound. “The One,” on the other hand, slowly unwinds in a manner that is extremely contemporary. As Gil Goldstein’s piano and Tonolo’s tenor sax begin to outline the song’s melodic and harmonic content, Motian and Swallow provide a gorgeous counterpoint that completely divorces the song from its original performance and lyrics.

Other tracks rely on a change of tempo from the original or a way of making the melody less recognizable. For example, “Tiny Dancer” becomes rhythmically very different, with the song’s phrases loping freely over bar lines rather than presenting themselves as neat, rhyming couplets. “Rocket Man” becomes an enchanting jazz waltz. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” takes on a boppish swing. The group’s suave vibe saves the day, infusing any awkward moments with an easygoing charm that is difficult to resist.

Tonolo ends this CD with two original tracks that are apparently inspired by Elton John’s musical output. The first, entitled “White Street,” radiates the same self-assured quality as the rest of the disc, and some would probably believe this was an interpretation of one of John’s lesser known songs. The “Epilogue: Semifonte” is like a lost 1940s ballad, displaying much more in common with Elton John’s more romantic leanings in spirit than in actual compositional style. Nonetheless, it provides a memorable conclusion to a disc of pleasant performances that demonstrate there’s more than one way for jazz musicians to take on popular hits.