Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Daniel Schlaeppi/Marc Copland: More Essentials

10

Daniel Schlaeppi/Marc Copland: More Essentials

By

Sign in to view read count
Daniel Schlaeppi/Marc Copland: More Essentials
The experience of this duo outing, More Essentials, begins with the packaging, the cover art, a gorgeous photo of two jelly fish immersed in the softened hues of shallow submersion in the sea. The disc spins, an introductory bass solo by Daniel Schlaeppi that leads into Miles Davis' "Blue In Green," with pianist Marc Copeland's liquid, anti-gravitational, chord-to-chord glide as lovely as anything he's ever laid down, immersed in turquoise, tethered by the (planetary) Neptune-ian pull of bassist Daniel Schlaeppi's big, powerful sound.

Copeland excels in the duo: his auspicious pairing with bassist Gary Peacock, Insight (Pirouet Records, 2009) , and Speak To Me (Pirouet Records, 2011) are standout examples of his artistry in the format. But there's something about More Essentials that rises above even those excellent outings. Schlappe and Copland have worked together, a lot, as a duo—four joint tours and one previous recording, Essentials (Catwalk, 2012). The level of interaction, their "dialogic interplay," the comfort, familiarity and ease with which they speak together rises to the highest levels.

There are standards—and the non-original song selection is spot-on for this particular team: the previously mentioned "Blue In Green," "Estate," " All Of You," a darkly-beautiful, doomsday-ian version of "Yesterdays." then there's Joni Mitchell's approachable, cerebral "Rainy Night House," that Schlaeppi and Copland caress with pure affection.

And "Gloria's Step," from the pen of Scott LaFaro: the late LaFaro was pianist Bill Evans' bassist—Copland if often compared to Evans—in the historic trio that recorded the classic Riverside Records albums of 1961, Sunday At the Village Vanguard and Waltz For Debby. If Copeland is compared to Evans, Schlappe can be lined up with with LaFaro (and Charlie Haden and Eddie Gomez), with his ringing tone, his assertive interaction and his stream of surprises he brings to the music.

Add a couple of surprises. Copland isn't usually called a bop pianist, but his take on Horace Silver's classic "Song For My Father" bounces with a crisp panache; and Charlie Parker's "My Little Suede Shoes" dances with joy.

The punctuation in the sequencing of Schlaellpi's brief, improvised bass solos "Essentials," with one improved piano/bass interlude to the list, are a perfect touch tying the performance together on this extraordinary duo outing.

Track Listing

Essential 9; Blue In Green; LST; Estate; Essential 10; All Of You; Essential 11; Rainy Night House; Gloria's Step; Song For My Father; Essential 12; Yesterdays; My Little Suede Shoes; Essentials 13.

Personnel

Daniel Schlaeppi: bass; Marc Copland: piano.

Album information

Title: More Essentials | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Catwalk

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.