Leslie Pintchik: Prayer For What Remains

As a doctoral candidate at Columbia University studying 17th-century English literature and working as a teaching assistant, Leslie Pintchik could have moved into a life of academia. But, an old story: jazz called. She wanted a music career. A clear-eyed financial advisor might have tried to dissuade her, pointing out the problems and pitfalls of making a living in jazz. She probably would not have listened. In 2024, with eight fine albums under her belt, she offers up number nine, Prayer For What Remains. Those nine albums say she made the right career decision.

Pintchik works mostly in the trio and quartet modes. Prayer For What Remains features her with a piano trio—piano, bass and drums—augmented on seven of the ten tunes by percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, who adds sometimes quirky yet subtle textures to the sound, along with saxophonist Steve Wilson blowing on two tracks. Eight tunes are Pintchik originals—and she writes with a gift for pulling melodic beauty out of the air—and a pair of well-chosen covers: The Beatles "I Will" and Joni Mitchell's "Banquet."

Her core trio of bassist Scott Hardy and drummer Michael Sarin serve the Pintchik vision well, locking into tight grooves without calling attention to themselves, and Pintchik boasts a concise and elegant touch on the keys.

Melody is the thing. Opening with the leader's dark and melancholy title tune—a breathtakingly beautiful composition inspired by a photo taken by war photographer Joseph Eid of a man sitting smoking a pipe in Aleppo, Syria, in a bomb-ravaged building listening to a record on a manual gramophone. There may not be much remaining, but what does remain must be savored. Saxophonist Wilson joins Pintchik on the tune. His soprano tone is pure gold. It is sad, but it floats on top of an undertone of solemnity and optimism.

The peppy "Later Than We Thought" was inspired by the realization that we are all stumbling headlong toward grim certainty, so—like pop songster Warren Zevon once said: "Enjoy every sandwich." And the tune does indeed give off a glow of the affirmation of the joy of our journey toward becoming, once again, dust.

"I Will," one of Paul McCartney's loveliest tunes, is given a straight treatment. The pianist's solo keeps a tight focus while stretching out on the familiar melody; while "Banquet," from the Joni Mitchell songbook, is by turns defiant (nobody does defiance like Joni Mitchell) and mournful.

There is the sense that Prayer For What Remains is Leslie Pintchik showing us her soul. It is a beautiful thing, a straight- through first-rate jazz offering.