Marc Copland: Dreaming

Jazz man Marc Copland is known primarily for his piano albums, solo and trio outings. He is considered by some, rightly so, as the premier jazz pianist of our day, closer to the supple touch and refined harmony of Bill Evans than the bouncing, joyous near-bombast of Bud Powell. But he is no stranger to playing with horns, teaming with trumpeter Ralph Alessi on Zenith (InnerVoice Jazz, 2015), saxophonist Dave Liebman on Contact (Pirouet Records, 2015) and saxophonist Greg Osby on Crosstalk (Pirouet Records, 2011).

Then there is Someday (InnerVoice Jazz, 2022) with saxophonist Robin Verheyen and the disc at hand, Dreaming.

Copland is a consummate group player. The ensemble sound trumps the solos, slightly—though these are there, and they are notable. Verheyen was, for a time, Copland's label mate at Pirouet Records—a label that seems, at this 2025 writing to have gone, sadly, dormant, let us hope not extinct. They put out a fine product, with terrific artists making memorable music wrapped in attractive physical packages featuring some prize-winning cover art. Verheyan's Startbound (2009) was a standout release for Pirouet.

Dreaming features drummer Mark Ferber and bassist Drew Gress joining Copland and Verheyen. So it is all-stars all around. And it sounds like it, on the opener, Thelonious Monk's "Eronel," with Verheyen playing the soprano horn with a joyous vigor. Copland's piano is more assertive than on most of his solo and trio work. He is more gregarious when a horn is involved, and this is a superb Monk cover (he covers him often).

Included here are a couple of Copland originals, a pair by bassist Gress, including the title tune (they have collaborated on record often, and a rapturous rapport is evident) in addition to two Verheyen tunes. The disc closes with an energized take on Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays," a welcome revisitation of the song he offered up on his Modinha (Pirouet Records, 2006).

The mood: one of a relaxed cohesion from start to finish, a hallmark of all Copland releases, with eight excellent compositions, sequenced expertly.