George Cables: I Hear Echoes

Pianist George Cables has released a steady stream of albums as a leader since the mid-1970s, but may be best known to listeners as a stalwart side man whose contributions to a slew of classic records by the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Art Pepper, Dexter Gordon, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson and Woody Shaw never fail to enliven the proceedings. I Hear Echoes, another in a string of strong releases on High Note Records, was released on his 80th birthday, though no listener would guess that the leader on this piano trio date was an octogenarian; Cables plays with undiminished dexterity and invention. The title of the album reflects his milestone birthday, as the pianist describes in the liner notes: "The echoes are maybe the echoes of my life, or of music that I heard, played and composed. Or they may be of other songs that have stayed with me and that I've always wanted to perform." The excellent bassist Essiet Essiet and the accomplished drummer (and Princeton University faculty member) Jerome Jennings complete a trio that can follow Cables down any path he chooses as he chases the reverberation of those echoes. The sound of the recording, made at NYC's storied Sear Sound by engineer Katherine Miller, deserves special mention. It is meaty but clear, with everything perfectly in balance.

The album starts with a bang. Cables plays a repeated snaking line in unison with Essiet's bass over an Afro-Cuban rhythm by Jennings to introduce his superb original, "Echo of a Scream," which is based on a painting he once saw at the Museum of Modern Art. This tune sounds like a lost classic from the late 1960s, with exciting rhythmic changes, soulful soloing and comping by Cables, dramatic pauses and outstanding drumming. Three further originals grace this set: "Echoes," a noir-ish melodic riff-based tune with sensitive cymbal work by Jennings; "Morning Song," a gospel-tinged, soulful song that Cables has recorded before, given a funky straight beat here; and the harmonically interesting "Blue Nights," highlighted by Cables dexterous soloing and more impeccable playing by Jennings.

These originals are complemented by a well-chosen mix of standards and tunes by some of Cables' favorite pianists. Cole Porter's evergreen "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is given a beguiling Afro-Cuban arrangement featuring Jennings on congas. Cables manages to find new things to say with this ultimate jazz warhorse, which is saying something indeed. Duke Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss" is beautiful and quietly swinging here, while "So Near So Far" is made special by a gorgeous bass solo by Essiet. One of the most interesting pieces is "Journey to Agartha" by young pianist and composer ArcoIris Sandoval, of whom Cables is a big fan: "This song has been running around my brain ever since I first heard it. . .It's so much fun to play." That sense of fun is clearly audible throughout the album, which ends "Peace"-fully as the leader performs a solo version of Horace Silver's classic with an after-hours feel, as if he couldn't resist one more tune before heading home.

On the evidence of I Hear Echoes, Cables still has a lot to say at the piano after 60 years in jazz. The album bodes well for new music he has planned for his ninth decade.