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Richie Beirach: Sea Priestess
by Scott Lichtman
Pianist Richie Beirach has been a foundation of the jazz community since the '70s, having released over 70 albums through 2022. His style combines romanticism with a dissonant compositional flair. His music, usually expressed in solo, duet and trio formats, sounds exceptionally intimate. Beirach could create chemistry with most anyone and has collaborated with luminaries such as saxophonist Dave Liebman, pianist Andy Laverne and guitarist John Abercrombie. “Sea Priestess," with bassist George Mraz and drummer Jack DeJohnette, epitomizes the beauty ...
Continue ReadingRichie Beirach: Leaving
by Chris May
On Leaving, recorded in France in 2022, Richie Beirach revisits thirteen evergreen standards, seven of them grouped together in two medleys, and two of his own compositions ("Leaving," “Sunday Song") written in the 1970s. The album is Beirach's first live solo recording since 1981. All of the material is more than familiar to Beirach and will be equally well known to seasoned jazz fans. In his liner note, Beirach says that this was intentional. He wanted to ...
Continue ReadingJohn Abercrombie: The First Quartet
by John Kelman
With the release of Arcade (1979), Abercrombie Quartet (1980) and M (1981), John Abercrombie's entire ECM discography as a leader is finally available on CD. Looking back at these albums and their position in his oeuvre, they are revealed as seminal documents of Abercrombie's arrival as a distinctive writer, improvising guitarist and bandleader, delivering on the promise of his first two ECM recordings under his own name, Timeless (1975) and Characters (1977). Abercrombie's subsequent career has, in many ways, been ...
Continue ReadingJohn Moulder: Metamorphosis
by Jack Bowers
As approximately fifty of the sixty-eight minutes on Chicago-based guitarist John Moulder's new CD, Metamorphosis, are devoted to the seven-part “Metamorphosis Suite," that seems an appropriate point at which to start any appraisal of its contents and purpose. First and foremost, it is clear that considerable thought was given to mapping the structure of the suite, and that Moulder's quartet came well-prepared to accept and conform to his frame of mind. Whether the end result is worthy of approval is ...
Continue ReadingRichie Beirach: Exploring Who Matters Most Among the Jazz Pianists
by Victor L. Schermer
[The following is a commentary on pianist Richie Beirach's 2020 e-book The Historical Lineage of Modern Jazz Piano: The 10 Essential Players (Conversations between Richie Beirach and Michael Lake), downloadable for free here.] Jazz piano has always garnered (no intended reference to Erroll Garner) special interest among the instruments because it is truly an orchestra in itself. Its keys cover the full range from low bass to highest soprano, and it is tailored (no allusion to Dr. Billy ...
Continue ReadingRichie Beirach: Indelible Memories and Thought-Provoking Reflections on a Life in Jazz, Part 2
by Victor L. Schermer
Part 1 | Part 2 Richie Beirach hovers somewhat mysteriously in the pantheon of the great modern jazz pianists. Some of the others in that category from his generation (coming up in the 1960s/'70s), like Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, and Kenny Barron have greater celebrity, but Beirach easily qualifies alongside them as one of the most accomplished masters. While the aforementioned have developed a signature style, emotional power, and virtuosic technique, Beirach, above and beyond those ...
Continue ReadingRichie Beirach: Indelible Memories and Thought-Provoking Reflections on a Life in Jazz, Part 1
by Victor L. Schermer
Part 1 | Part 2 Richie Beirach hovers somewhat mysteriously in the pantheon of the great modern jazz pianists. Some of the others in that category from his generation (coming up in the 1960s/'70s), like Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, and Kenny Barron have greater celebrity, but Beirach easily qualifies alongside them as one of the most accomplished masters. While the aforementioned have developed a signature style, emotional power, and virtuosic technique, Beirach, above and beyond those ...
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