Jazz Articles about Martial Solal

Martial Solal: NY1: Live at the Village Vanguard

by Dan McClenaghan
June 25, 2003

I hadn't heard of the Algiers-born, Paris-based pianist Martial Solal, and my review copy of this disc came in a bare bones state: just a cardboard sleeve, a listing of the tunes and musicians. No cover art, no liner notes. A blind listen told me “Modernistic," a young lion full of the creative drive and fire. Then I read more. Martial Solal is 74 years old, having played with Sidney Bechet and recorded with ...

Martial Solal: NY1: Live At The Village Vanguard

by Jim Santella
June 25, 2003

This live recording allows one to share the reaction of the audience as well as the creative energy exhibited by the Martial Solal Trio during the group's week-long engagement in New York just a week after the horrific September 11, 2001 World Trade Center tragedies. The Greenwich Village nightclub served as an ideal spot for this recording. Solal's piano is heard loud and clear, with a crisp right hand and deep, forceful left. Bass and drums remain balanced and offer ...

Martial Solal: Martial Solal Dodecaband Plays Ellington

by Craig Jolley
March 1, 2001

Martial Solal's big band is a revelation. I've loved his piano music since I started acquiring (mostly through mail order) his records in the late 60's. His big band writing can be seen as an extension of his piano, but it is much more. Like his piano playing there are all kinds of rhythmic stops and starts that may sound like unmusical special effects at first hearing but actually make entire sense.

I usually don't like “songbook" CD's because they ...

Martial Solal Dodecaband: Martial Solal Dodecaband Plays Ellington

by Jim Santella
February 1, 2001

A decidedly different chamber jazz kind of tribute to Duke Ellington comes from the creative mind of Paris-based Martial Solal. With a sound like that of Miles Davis' mid-century nonet, the pianist weaves tuba, baritone saxophone, rhythm, brass and woodwinds into a big band sound with suite-like implications. Following the cool school approach, Solal leaves out some of the swing, and supplies, instead, a creative manuscript that flows in many directions at once. Muted trumpets, droning bottom voices, splashes of ...

Martial Solal: Martial Solal Dodecaband Plays Ellington

by Mark Corroto
February 1, 2001

There are only two things missing from Martial Solal's Duke Ellington tribute, Ellington's arrangements and Solal's voice. Solal, born in French Algiers in 1927, has been a staple of the Paris jazz scene since the 1950s. His piano has accompanied Don Byas, Lucky Thompson, Sidney Bechet, and Lee Konitz. He was recently nominated for a Grammy Award for last year's duo recording with tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin. His solo and small group recordings, very few of which have been available ...

Martial Solal & Johnny Griffin: In & Out

by Jim Santella
August 1, 2000

Two outstanding improvisers make this duet session thrilling from start to finish. The pair begins and ends with recognized standards, while filling out the inside with songs they’ve written (three apiece). Martial Solal’s crisp keyboard approach blends seamlessly with Johnny Griffin’s lyrical playfulness. Both piano and saxophone sustain by employing tremolos and energetic cascades. Solal’s creative spirit leans toward the dramatic, while Griffin’s interest lies closer to melodic charm. Both artists balance their presentation with ballad reflections and swinging landscapes. ...

Martial Solal Trio: Balade du 10 Mars

by AAJ Staff
February 1, 2000

For the last 40 years, a landmark has been ignored in this country. A fixture in Europe, over here Martial Solal is best known for his brushes with America: a ’63 concert at Newport, a ’68 duet with Hampton Hawes. That is our loss: a listen to this and it’s obvious ... he’s indebted to nobody. Sure, there are influences – his radical standards recall Cecil Taylor, there’s a hint of Bill Evans’ warmth – but the blend sounds unique ...