Joel Futterman: Innervoice

On each of the three tracks that comprise Innervoice, pianist Joel Futterman begins with just two notes. Each note resounds in the listener's ear long after the auditory perception has faded. These two notes act as Futterman's conjuring device for what is to come. The pianist, now in his eighth decade, is playing as strong as he ever has. Even though his discography is nearing 100 releases, this solo piano recording may be the best entry point for new listeners. Futterman began in Chicago under the spell of bebop, before exploring music that would be considered more free. He has recorded with, among others Kidd Jordan, Alvin Fielder, Jimmy Lyons, Raphe Malik and Hal Russell.

As we hear in these three tracks, even though he left bebop behind, remnants remain in his music. Fragments of Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk float into the mix, as do George Gershwin and Frédéric François Chopin. Is Futterman a Cecil Taylor epigone? A less discerning listener might make that connection, but it would be in error. Futterman is, well, Futterman. Yes, he can play a roiling piano as he does here, but he also works in a more painterly fashion. He draws from the aforementioned bebop and chamber sound, plus applies a blues feel, some stride piano and even some meditative passages. With the catalog of sounds and styles Futterman has stored in his brain's library, he draws upon the history of jazz; maybe, better said, his history of jazz, from 1950 until today.