Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » William Parker: Luc's Lantern

William Parker: Luc's Lantern

By Eyal Hareuveni
March 27, 2005
View read count

Bassist William Parker has been a key figure in different piano trios in the past, including Cecil Taylor's Feel Trio (Looking: Berlin Version, FMP, 1990 and Celebrated Blazons, FMP, 1994), his longtime partner Matthew Shipp's Trio (The Multiplication Table, Hatology, 1998) and most recently in Dave Burrell's Full Blown Trio (High Two, 2004). But none of those trios ever delivered as straightforward and accessible a release as William Parker's own trio on its debut, Luc's Lantern. With this trio—backed by classically trained pianist Eri Yamamoto and drummer Michael Thompson—Parker, who is usually marked as an avant gardist, manages to frame himself as a composer rooted in the more conventional foundations of the jazz tradition.

Luc's Lantern is mainly a showcase for Parker's up front and forceful Mingus-like playing. Parker nods to two great late pianists who crossed paths with Mingus—Jaki Byard, on "Jaki," which clearly borrows Byard's rootsy style; and Bud Powell, on "Bud In Alphaville," which opts to update Powell's boppish playing with a wink to director Jean-Luc Goddard. Still, the focus through all ten tracks is on melody, intimacy, and restraint. The trio dances around Parker's bass groove on the opening track, "Adena," and emphasizes the sentimentality and simplicity of "Song of Tyler." Only on "Mourning Sunset" and "Evening Star Song" can one hear echoes of the dense pianism of Shipp. The bright lyricism of "Phoenix" even brings to mind Keith Jarrett, and the closing track, the much-too-short "Candlesticks On The Lake," is a bowed improvisation, which leaves one longing for more.

This amazing trio sounds as if it is a working trio—fresh, relaxed, and assured, and with great affinity towards Parker's rhythmic leadership. Hopefully it will become a regular working trio, maturing with future releases.

Parker's poetry accompanies the release and he writes, in regard to the title track, "I see a forest where only black trees with yellow and purple teeth grow/ Trees that play violins and write poems/ This is a recurring dream but each night/ A small lantern is left on the porch so I can make my way back home." It would appear that he has already found that home, where he began to listen to all that jazz.

Visit William Parker on the web.

Track Listing

Adena; Song For Tyler; Mourning Sunset; Evening Star Song; Luc

Personnel

William Parker

bass

William Parker - Bass; Eri Yamamoto - Piano; Michael Thompson - Drums.

Album information

Title: Luc's Lantern | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Thirsty Ear Recordings

PREVIOUS / NEXT

No Saints No Saviors: My Years with ...
< Previous

Days Before and After
Next >

William Parker Concerts

Oct 18 Sat

Vilnius Jazz 2025: William Parker Heart Trio (USA)

Vilnius Old Theatre
Vilnius, Lithuania

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.