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A Bu Trio with Larry Grenadier and Eric Harland: One Step East
As the title implies, the album is meant to represent a melding of Eastern and Western influences, most clearly heard on the hard-bop title track, but more often, it's a philosophical approach. A Bu covers several standards referencing the Keith Jarrett Trio repertoire with "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Somewhere." The best of the pianist's cover work is a languid, bluesy reading of Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and a fresh interpretation of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy." Grenadier and Harland bring a lively, sophisticated feeling to "Waltz in Minor" and the bassist's duo with A Bu on "Ballade 2" is a highlight of the album. The trio is superb in their version of a popular Chinese rock song, "The Lost Season," a reflective and elegant piece that brings to mind the Bill Evans trio.
A Bu won first prize in the Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition in 2015. Now, only in his early twenties, he is well on his way to developing a personal style. As a musician he has demonstrated remarkable maturity and talent, sharing stages with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Igor Butman, Brian Blade, and many others. It is a long haul for a Chinese artist to leave his or her mark on the Western jazz markets, but with each A Bu release, it becomes inevitable that the pianist will make his name in the wider jazz world.
Track Listing
Someday My Prince Will Come; One Step East; Somewhere; Jealous Guy; Prelude XIX; The Lost Season; Oriental Interlude; Ballade; Waltz in Waltz; Ballade 2; Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.
Personnel
Larry Grenadier
bass, acousticEric Harland
drumsAdditional Instrumentation
A Bu: Piano.
Album information
Title: One Step East | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Jz Music
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