George Colligan: Live At The Jazz Standard

During its relatively brief life, the Jazz Standard hosted many wonderful evenings of creative music. Artists performing in the basement beneath the barbecue restaurant ranged from Houston Person to Roy Haynes to Wadada Leo Smith. The Mingus Big Band held forth on most Monday evenings. Sadly, the club succumbed in 2021 to the economic pain caused by the pandemic.

In memorium, we now have a robustly recorded live set from 2014 by the George Colligan trio. It is an energized, special moment and a nostalgic listen for those sufficiently lucky to have frequented the club. Although Colligan is also adept at trumpet and drums, he restrained himself to the piano apart from one song on melodica. The set consists of half the songs from his album The Endless Mysteries (Origin Records, 2013), all exceptional compositions. Hopefully, the second set of the evening contained the rest of the studio album and, given the dynamism and quality here, will yield a follow-up release.

Jack DeJohnette, in whose band Colligan was frequently the pianist, held down the percussion chair, swapping leadership roles. Linda May Han Oh rounded out the trio on bass, replacing Larry Grenadier who appeared on the studio album. Although she had some previous history with Colligan, this may be the only time the three performed together as a unit and is their only recording. The chemistry and tight performances are those of a trio that had been together for a while. It is a shame they were not, but at least we have this recording to savor.

Although this recording was early in Oh's career, her full-toned bass technique and melodic, fluid musicianship are fully displayed. It is no wonder she received the 2025 Jazz Journalists Association Bass Player of the Year award, just as this album was released. She is a vital presence on every piece.

Not surprisingly, DeJohnette elevates another performance with his expansive percussion: polyrhythmic, multi- timbral and dynamic, with colorful shimmering cymbals. His opening to "Song for the Tarahumara" is a classic example of his artistry, after which he cooks on this up- tempo burner. Like the long-distance runners the piece is named for, Colligan takes the song on a long run of ever- changing, rapid-fire ideas. Oh's extended solo midway dials down the intensity, but makes for a great melodious contrast. The synchronicity and drive of everyone's playing is impressive.

The song "Her Majesty" was written for Colligan's wife and is another superb vehicle on which he can stretch out and show off another side of his playing. After a gentle intro, Colligan launches into the upbeat, joyful song, working and reworking the melody through multiple interpretations. Oh contributes another standout solo, while DeJohnette provides steady momentum throughout, dancing and percolating. Delightful.

Colligan switches to the melodica on "Liam's Lament," a meditation dedicated to his son. After a humorous introduction, the song begins tenderly with an extended opening by Oh, who then plays lyrically in tandem with the melodica. Things take a short, chaotic turn midway with some dissonance by Colligan and free playing by DeJohnette, perhaps to suggest life with a two-year-old. The trio coalesces around the warm melody and makes a soft, unison landing.

Colligan's pianism, here and elsewhere, is robust, expressive, commanding, deft, intelligent and passionate, with surprising turns and an abundance of ideas. His comments between songs, often amusing, personalize the album and convey a bit of the club's ambiance. What a fitting tribute to the Jazz Standard. Let us hope there are more recordings of this quality in the vault for future releases.