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Marc Copland: New York Trio Recordings Vol. 1: Modinha
by Seamus Seoighe
Something that all the great pianists have in common is a mystical understanding of when to drop their fingers to the keys, a perfect consciousness of when to enter and when to exit. If the fingers always fall at precisely the right time, to some extent the actual notes don't even matter. It all swings too hard for anybody to care. Within the first bars of the first track, “Half a Finger Snap, it becomes apparent that Marc Copland is ...
Continue ReadingMarc Copland: New York Trio Recordings Vol. 2: Voices
by John Kelman
In a genre dependent on interaction, changing only one member of a group can yield significantly different results. For Voices, the second in his New York Trio Recordings trilogy, pianist Marc Copland retains bassist Gary Peacock from Modinha (Pirouet, 2006), but replaces Bill Stewart with enduring percussive colorist Paul Motian. The result is an album that finds Copland--a relative latecomer to his instrument, but whose voice is as dependent on his unmistakable harmonic language as it is on his elegant ...
Continue ReadingMarc Copland / Randy Brecker: Both / And
by Ken Dryden
Marc Copland has always had a sense of adventure on his recordings, but Both/And is easily his most rewarding effort to date. For this effort he reunited with trumpeter Randy Brecker (who appeared on two of Copland's earlier CDs) and is joined by bassist Ed Howard and drummer Victor Lewis, who have been paired on a number of recordings and are always a top-notch rhythm section. The date focuses primarily on Copland's aggressive post bop originals, with Brecker acting as ...
Continue ReadingMarc Copland: New York Trio Recordings Vol. 1: Modinha
by John Kelman
The piano trio may be a longstanding jazz tradition, but that doesn't necessarily make it anachronistic. Pianist Marc Copland has been forging an increasingly distinctive identity that straddles the line between modern mainstream and greater abstraction for the past couple of decades. For this sublime recording, Copland recruited bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Bill Stewart--who last worked together with the pianist on Softly... (Savoy Jazz, 1998). The first of three trio dates in the series, each with a different lineup, ...
Continue ReadingMarc Copland & Randy Brecker: Both/And
by AAJ Italy Staff
Dimenticatevi il Randy Brecker rockettaro versione Blood, Sweat & Tears, quello fusion legato ai gruppi di Larry Coryell e Billy Cobham, e quello screziato di funky dei popolari Brecker Brothers. Quello che si ascolta in questa raffinata seduta condivisa con il pianista Marc Copland è il Brecker dalle salde radici bop, in possesso di una tecnica sopraffina che non esibisce spudoratamente ma piega docilmente al servizio di un solismo raramente così dolce, misurato ed intenso. La complicità con Marc Copland, ...
Continue ReadingMarc Copland / Bill Carrothers: No Choice
by John Kelman
Dual-piano recordings pose a distinct challenge. Given the instrument's range, how do two players work together and avoid clashing? Marc Copland and Bill Carrothers provide one answer on No Choice, an album of primarily jazz standards, plus one free improv piece and a remarkable look at a classic Neil Young tune.
With Carrothers on the left channel and Copland on the right, it's easy enough to distinguish their voices. Both pianists possess the kind of listening skills that allow them ...
Continue ReadingMarc Copland / Randy Brecker: Both / And
by John Kelman
In recent years Marc Copland has been honing an introspective approach to the piano that's as heavy on substance as it is on style. But with the exception of his ongoing trio with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Jochen Ruchert, he's concentrated on solo work, duets and an unconventional trio with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and guitarist John Abercrombie. As a result, this recording, where he shares top billing with veteran trumpeter Randy Brecker, comes as something of a surprise. Copland's ...
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