Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Rachel Z: On The Milky Way Express

207

Rachel Z: On The Milky Way Express

By

View read count
Rachel Z: On The Milky Way Express
Rachel Z is a lot shorter than I expected her to be. The former Ms. Nicolazzo, henceforth the ‘Z,’ should be taller, much taller, a height equal to her ambitious sound. The once classical piano student turned jazz pianist, graduated from the New England Conservatory and set about playing music both inside and outside the jazz tradition. That simply means she has led two careers, one in acoustic post bop-oriented jazz and another in jazz-fusion. Playing with such diverse artists and groups as Najee, Mike Mainieri, Special EFX, Larry Coryell, and Wayne Shorter for whom this recording is all about.

Like Shorter, Rachael Z’s jaunts between acoustic and electric jazz have worried listeners. Maybe it’s the fallout from the Marsalis revolution that causes the rigid categorization in which we get trapped. Face it, we’ll never end the smooth-jazz vs. creative-music war and this disc doesn’t attempt such a feat. Rachel Z sticks to acoustic piano throughout (as does her bandmates, except one electric bass track).

The music, by now familiar to Shorter fans, gets a respectful yet vigorous workout. “Pinocchio” from Miles Davis’ Neffertitti opens the disc. Z charts a path not unlike say; Herbie Hancock mixed with a little Keith Jarrett. Her intelligence at the keys is only rivaled by the bands rhythmic nature. It is a delight to hear Shorter’s compositions in this trio context. Bassist Miriam Sullivan and drummer Allison Miller make Rachel Z’s band more than just an all-girl oddity. This is a tight working band (that just happens to be comprised of women). They collectively know Wayne Shorter’s music inside and out. They track the familiar “El Gaucho” and “Footprints.” Taking “Dolores” at a hurried pace to raise the blood pressure and create a tension/resolve that is only possible with a working band. The band also takes on Shorter’s recent composition “Black Swan In Memory Of Portly” from Highlife, a song you might not be familiar with. She takes it on peaceful terms, her solo piano echoes a hint of her classical past plus a gospel-tinged soulfulness.

The Z trio has made a significant recording. Notable for her blossoming voice, Shorter’s composing, and the establishment of women in their rightful place on the bandstand.

Track Listing

Pinocchio; El Gaucho; Fall; Footprints; Dolores; Iris; Black Nile; Witch Hunt; Black Swan In Memory Of Portly; Three Marias; Milkyway.

Personnel

Rachel Z
keyboards

Rachel Z

Album information

Title: On The Milky Way Express | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Tone Center

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About 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 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.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.