David Lopato: Short Stories

Short Stories, pianist and composer David Lopato's seventh album, is for the most part modern in the best sense of the word. Lopato's musical influences are wide, ranging from jazz, blues and rock to avant-garde and free improvisation while embracing themes from Africa, Latin America and Asia—most notably Indonesia where he spent a year on a Fulbright scholarship learning to play the Javanese gamelan. Even when fusing these diverse bonds into a single vision, however, Lopato seldom strays from the basics, framing melodies and harmonies that even casual listeners can understand and appreciate. In other words, no matter how far afield Lopato and his ensemble may roam, jazz remains its core element, the one to which every pathway ultimately leads.

Whatever else one does, it is useless to pigeonhole Lopato's music, as there may be straight-ahead jazz one moment and old-line swing the next, followed by a Buddhist meditation, an avant-garde locution, Latin-centered rhythms, a New Orleans vibe, and even an intense and romantic ballad or two. After opening with Wayne Shorter's fast-paced "Prince of Darkness," the album focuses exclusively on compositions by Lopato, eight in all, including tributes to the late Chick Corea and South African president Nelson Mandela. The graceful "For Chick," on which Lopato shows his mastery of the keyboard while enhancing lustrous solos by clarinetist Lucas Pino, trombonist Ed Neumeister and bassist Ratzo Harris , leads to the spasmodic swinger, "Stuttersteppin,'" on which Lopato and drummer Michael Sarin take charge.

"Through the Veil," which opens softly, is a Buddhist-inspired theme that mixes contemporary jazz with avant-garde improvisation, mainly by Pino (on soprano sax) and Neumeister whose trombone gymnastics lend a "singing" ambience to a wordless vocal by Anson Jones (who is present but basically inaudible on "Papagayo"). Lopato's homage to Mandela, "Nelson," swings hard all the way and features dazzling section work behind heated solos by Pino (on tenor sax), Neumeister and Sarin. That leads to the gossamer ballad "Clarity" (nicely introduced by Harris with Pino shining again on clarinet) and bluesy "Looking for Mr. Babar," a Crescent City-inspired melange whose Dixie spirit is underscored by Harris and Lopato who solo with perception and assurance, and by Neumeister and Pino whose nimble exchanges foreshadow the attractive out-chorus.

Percussionist Bobby Sanabria places his indelible stamp on the midsection of "Papagayo," a buoyant samba wherein Lopato and Pino (on tenor) also excel. Pino returns to clarinet to brighten "The Glass Ceiling," a mellow ballad that rings down the curtain on an exemplary session. While sorting Lopato's themes may be pointless, it should be noted that they are equal parts intrepid and seductive, and his Short Stories are well worth perusing.

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