Michel Petrucciani: Power of Three & The Manhattan Project

John Kelman

Senior Editor since 2004

With the realization that there will always be more music coming at him than he can keep up with, John wonders why anyone would think that jazz is dead or dying.

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Published: April 30, 2005

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The Manhattan Project was the brainchild of drummer Lenny White, with the idea of taking a collection of known compositions, and painting them in a new light by augmenting a more traditional sax-piano-bass-drums with two synthesizer players to provide orchestration. Bringing in bassist Stanley Clarke, whose history with White goes back to their days in Chick Corea's fusion group Return to Forever, was no surprise. Neither was Shorter. But Petrucciani's inclusion may have raised a few eyebrows, even thought White had played on his Blue Note recording, Music. But given that, while The Manhattan Project would be more-or-less straight-ahead there was the potential of more than a taste of fusion, how well would Petrucciani integrate?

Based on the hour-long performance presented here, Petrucciani shows that he was versatile enough to fit into any context. The first piece, White's "Old Wine, New Bottles, is a straightforward blues, and there's little stretching involved. But that changes when the group head into the late Jaco Pastorius' "Dania, an up-tempo tune with orchestral padding provided by Pete Levin and Gil Goldstein. Here Petrucciani proves that he's completely adaptable, playing with an energy and intensity that some might find surprising.

But, of course, this show is not all about Petrucciani. Again, counter to his more recent work, Shorter seems to have a better balance between his intellectual and emotional sides. His soprano solo on "Dania is filled with rapid-fire exchanges and powerful flurries. As wonderful as his playing is today, here he appears more at ease and less considered.

Singer Rachelle Ferrell guests on a lightly swinging reading of "Autumn Leaves, which provides something of a breakpoint in the performance. With a deep and powerful voice, and a vivid improvisational flair, it's surprising that she hasn't attained the kind of recognition she deserves, in light of the onslaught of jazz vocalists flooding the market these days.

Following Ferrell's spot, Clarke switches from acoustic to electric bass, and here's where the show begins to dip. Clarke has often been accused of excess, and while he's able to maintain a strong groove with White on a surprisingly funky version of Shorter's classic "Nefertiti, he can't contain himself for long. That he has chops is without question; but so does everyone on stage; the difference between Clarke and Petrucciani, for example, is the difference between placing the song in service of the technique and subsuming the technique in service of the song.

When Clarke and Shorter enter a conversational mode in the equally funky reading of "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, it's another demonstration of the difference between someone who aspires and someone who succeeds. And by the time of Clarke's double-time solo in the middle of the tune one has had just about enough. Yes, Clarke and White are in synch, but it's more about obvious and overblown melodrama, and less about surrender to the song. It's the kind of interchange that generates excitement, but somehow feels false.

By the time the group hits "Summertime — yet another funky arrangement — the last vestiges of good taste are gone. Yes, Petrucciani and Shorter are able to contribute strong and meaningful solos, but once again Clarke's domineering presence and overblown sense of self takes away from any sense of collective.

Still, despite Clarke's overbearing blatancy, The Manhattan Project is worth seeing, if only for the opportunity to see Shorter and Petrucciani in action. Despite the overblown arrangements and general excess of the second half of the set, they are both in fine form, with Petrucciani, in particular, demonstrating a side to his playing that was rarely seen. And, again, Blue Note has done a great job in transferring the show to DVD, with both the sound and image crystal clear.

Personnel: Wayne Shorter (tenor and soprano saxophones); Michel Petrucciani (piano); Stanley Clarke (acoustic and electric bass); Lenny White (drums)
Special guests: Gil Goldstein (keyboards), Pete Levin (keyboards), Rachelle Ferrell (vocal on "Autumn Leaves )

Track Listing: Old Wine, New Bottles; Dania; Nefertiti; Virgo Rising; Goodbye Pork Pie Hat; Summertime

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