A FEW YEARS AGO in these pages I reviewed James Bongiorno’s solo piano recording, Prelude.
I reported enjoying that CD, and looked forward to hearing Mr. B in the trio setting being planned.
Now here he is with that trio, and the new CD, This is the Moment, is worth the wait.
This time out, Mr. Bongiorno, again playing powerfully at the keyboard a Yamaha grand, is joined by
Del Atkins on bass and Rayford Griffin on drums. Here, they are engaged in making an album primarily of American Songbook standards; there is one original.
Overall, this CD is mostly a joyride during which the pianist drives in high spirits over familiar terrain, while the drums and bass add
propulsive force and occasional brief lead relief. This is solid mainstream jazz music, with plenty of melody, harmony and rhythm, as I mostly like
it – no doodling along with ethereal chord voicings or super up-tempo races with the pianist running scales in the right hand with fixed chord
banging in the left while the bass and drum play their own tunes (rant over).
There are 11 tunes, of which my favorite is “On Green Dolphin Street.” This hardy perennial is taken at mid-tempo with full
statement and extended development of the melody by the pianist, over solid and thoughtful chord changes, with solid anchoring and propulsion by the other
two musicians. The mood and tempo shift at times, at one point sliding into a Latin style for a bit, but the basic melody and rhythm are never lost.
At another point, bassist Del Atkins provides a brief but enjoyable break. As with several of the other tunes on this CD, my feet they were a’tappin
and my head was a‘boppin throughout.
Next in my list of favorites is Jobim’s “Wave.” It opens in a reflective mood and then eases into the familiar bossa
nova style with good drum support. This piece is at a moderate tempo maybe best described as easy and steady swinging. More of my body parts came into
motion to join feet and head.
Next on my list was the uptempo, driving “Falling in Love with Love” and the mid-tempo stroller “Bye Bye Blackbird.”
The other tunes on the CD were all pretty good – no clunkers in the bunch.
I smiled at “Have You Met Miss Jones,” as the bluesy back-beat made me imagine Miss Jones stepping through a velvet curtain in a
stripper’s costume, moving her body parts.
So, we have a CD of enjoyable, enthusiastic and inventive mainstream jazz playing, one you’d play just for the pleasure of it.
The playing does have some rough edges, a bit less than total studio perfection but close to the enthusiasm of live music being played in a good jazz club.
Bass is a bit heavy in the mix, but overall recording quality is good. There is a full-range dynamic with a fairly close perspective. The liner notes are best
ignored in favor of the music. Buy this CD to share in the pleasure of the well-played music, more than for demo or audiophile-type sonics.
