Jazz Articles

Claire Ritter: Songs Of Lumiere

by Dan McClenaghan
January 24, 2025

Claire Ritter sounds like the most American of artists on Song of Lumiere, a solo piano outing. The North Carolina native--who studied under another quintessential American, pianist Mary Lou Williams, as well as Ran Blake--presents “Opus 30: Songs of Lumiere" a nine-tune exploration of light on the album, along with two of her previously recorded compositions, and a bit of Great American Songbook and a touch of the jazz standards. Ritter is at her best when weaving underlying ...

Claire Ritter: Soho Solo

by Dan McClenaghan
May 8, 2015

Almost any jazz pianist you can think of has taken a shot at the solo recording. Keith Jarrett explores uncharted territory with his wholly improvised approach. Denny Zeitlin and Fred Hersch examine the Standards and some of their own outstanding compositions. Brad Mehldau brings more modern musical mix with his own distinctive tunes stirred up with The Great American Songbook. Jessica Williams delves deeply into Thelonious Monk,  Art Tatum, and the divine poetry of her originals. Now it's ...

Claire Ritter: The Streams Of Pearls Project

by Bruce Lindsay
May 9, 2011

Claire Ritter's tenth album, The Stream Of Pearls Project, is inspired by water. More accurately, it's inspired by waters: rivers, lakes, brooks, ponds, cascades and their attendant beaches and shorelines. Ritter began the work in 2006 and over the next four years her travels took her to many different places across North America. The result is a beautifully crafted album, with an unusual instrumental lineup that Ritter uses with great ingenuity. Taken individually each of the tunes ...

Claire Ritter: Waltzing The Splendor

by Dan McClenaghan
September 15, 2007

Pianist/composer Claire Ritter's expansive artistic vision comes into sharp focus on her ninth CD release, Waltzing the Splendor.

It's music that won't slip into a neat category, though “classical jazz"--if you must apply a label--might be as good a fit as you'll find for her highly melodic approach. And that sharp focus is laid out on a very wide screen, employing everything from delicate classical beauty to Monkish angles to rollicking stride grooves.Here, as on her ...

Claire Ritter: Greener Than Blue

by Dan McClenaghan
November 17, 2004

Dichotomy prevails on pianist Claire Ritter's Greener Than Blue --rhythmic blues motifs versus peaceful impressionism; rags vs. tone poems; alternating west and east atmospherics; the rent party vying with the parlor. And still it holds together, thanks to the music's spare beauty and Ritter's always interesting melodic vision.Ritter delivers here on solo piano and in a reed/piano/drums trio with the occasional added viola, erhu, and various exotic percussion. The set starts out with a sort of mini-suite, a ...