Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Lee Shaw Trio: Live At Art Gallery Reutlingen

181

Lee Shaw Trio: Live At Art Gallery Reutlingen

By

Sign in to view read count
Lee Shaw Trio: Live At Art Gallery Reutlingen
After over fifty years as a musician, composer and educator Lee Shaw remains active and in demand. While never the most prolific recording artist, she continues to record in her 80s, and 2011 may well be one of her busiest years, with two albums in quick succession. Together Again: Live At The Egg (Artists Recording Collective) featured Shaw and John Medeski, her former pupil. Live At The Art Gallery Reutlingen comes from three concerts recorded at this German venue in mid-2009 with her regular rhythm section—drummer Jeff "Siege" Seigel and bassist Rich Syracuse—and two guest saxophonists.

The first four tracks feature the Trio with the richly-toned baritone sax of Michael Lutzeier, on three standards and a Lutzeier original, the funky, good-time, "Music 4 Food," which ends with an appreciative laugh from Shaw. Lutzeier's playing on Johnny Green's "Body and Soul" has a quiet majesty to it, demonstrating his command of the instrument as he captures the tune's inherent beauty. Tenor saxophonist Johannes Enders guests on three tunes, including Shaw's lovely "Tears." Enders is a subtler player than Lutzeier, less forceful and with a gentler, softer tone.

Seigel and Syracuse are spot-on throughout: energetic, focused and sympathetic rhythm playing that adds drive and depth to the music. Shaw has the great ability to support the saxophonists with precision, never overplaying or distracting, while her own lead work is thoughtful and flowing. Her solo performance, Leonard Bernstein's "Lonely Town," shows her mastery of light and shade.

Live At The Art Gallery Reutlingen is much looser than Together Again: Live At The Egg; the performances not quite matching the quality of the Medeski set, and the sound quality troubled by occasional balance problems. But this is still a worthwhile release, as the technical issues are more than compensated for by the talent and joy of the musicians. Their delight in playing together is readily transmitted across these tunes.

Track Listing

Falling in Love Again; Music 4 Food; Body and Soul; It's Alright With Me; Tears; Turnaround; Lonely Town; Stella By Starlight.

Personnel

Lee Shaw
piano

Lee Shaw: piano; Rich Syracuse: bass; Jeff "Siege" Siegel: drums; Johannes Enders: tenor saxophone (5, 6, 8); Michael Lutzeier: baritone saxophone (1-4).

Album information

Title: Live At Art Gallery Reutlingen | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: ARC - Artists Recording Collective

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.