Billy Lester Trio: High Standards

Pianist Billy Lester's album High Standards, recorded in 2017 in Italy, encompasses Lester's singular versions of eight memorable standards from the Great American Songbook. Although Lester plays sublimely, and his Italian rhythm section is first-class, the lingering impression is that something is missing. Yes, something is clearly missing...but what could it be?

Lester's technique is impeccable, his improvisations sharp and clever, while the rhythm section (bassist Marcello Testa, drummer Nicola Stranieri) is focused and alert, lending strong support and soloing handsomely whenever called upon. From that vantage point, everything seems perfectly drawn. Even so, one ingredient in this otherwise appetizing musical banquet seems to have been overlooked. What could it possibly be?

What is that missing element? Wait!...hold on a moment..it is starting to come into focus...Yes! That's it! The MELODIES! Lester has taken these lovely and timeless melodies and rendered them all but unrecognizable. Yes, the chord changes are there; and yes, there are times when Lester's keyboard dances close to a given melody; but for the most part, he uses the familiar themes as convenient launchpads for his and the trio's innovative abstractions. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Pianists have done so in the past, and will no doubt follow similar paths in the future.

Prospective listeners should, however, know in advance which way the trio's harmonic winds are blowing. These are, after all, among the more well-known tunes in the Great American Songbook, and anyone who is expecting to savor a lyrical taste of, for example, "There Will Never Be Another You," "I'll Remember April," "Just Friends" or "Out of Nowhere" may be sadly disappointed. While fellow musicians should be duly impressed by Lester's ingenuity, the average listener on the street may wish to hear a melody or two, or even suggestions thereof.

Lester closes the album with a nine-minute-plus "Free Improvisation," which in essence applies to the studio date as a whole. As Lester and the trio maintain High Standards in terms of planning and performance, and those metrics do not necessarily adhere to melodic or harmonic norms, this is basically an album for that select fraternity of listeners who are either musicians themselves or are musically well-tuned and astute. As such, it is readily recommended.