Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Marc Copland: New York Trio Recordings Vol. 2: Voices

Marc Copland: New York Trio Recordings Vol. 2: Voices

By Jerry D'Souza
February 12, 2008
View read count

Marc Copland: New York Trio Recordings Vol. 2: Voices

Pianist Marc Copland returns with the New York Trio Recordings Volume 2: Voices, following Modinha (Pirouet Records, 2007). It's the second in the series, with one more to come. Bill Stewart has been replaced by Paul Motian on drums and, considering the music, he's a better fit.

Copland and Peacock composed all the music except for Miles Davis' "All Blues," with the music following two streams: chamber and cool jazz. The zones are wide enough for the trio to fill them with a compact harmonic pulse, subtle shadings and vivid tonal explorations. While each is a craftsman in his own right, there is an easy fluidity and understanding between them, the result of Peacock playing for a long period of time with Copland, and even longer with Motian.

Peacock gently lights up "Vignette," shaping the melody and then letting the chords complement the vamp. Copland gives the melody more room to breathe. At first seeped in the composition, he unravels the notes with enough air and variation to bring in a warm ambience. Motian adds the ornamentation through light flexes on the cymbals and prancing accents.

"Albert" begins snappily. The melody is at the crux of his linear moves, but Copland inverts it through constant changes of pace and direction. Peacock moves from the center for some robust octaves.

"At Night" is top notch. Locked in harmony, the trio interacts intuitively. Copland lets each moment bathe in impressionism that shades every little nuance. His dynamic forge is complemented by Peacock and Motian, who add different textures—the former, thick and deep, and the latter, scintillating exclamations.

Track Listing

Vignette; Albert; River

Personnel

Marc Copland

piano

Marc Copland: piano; Gary Peacock: bass; Paul Motian: drums.

Album information

Title: New York Trio Recordings Vol. 2: Voices | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Pirouet Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Billie Holiday: Rare Live Recordings...
< Previous

1933: The Cheloni Broadcast Transcri...
Next >

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.