Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bob McHugh Trio: Soaring on Wings of Ivory and Black

95

Bob McHugh Trio: Soaring on Wings of Ivory and Black

By

Sign in to view read count
Bob McHugh Trio: Soaring on Wings of Ivory and Black
Bob McHugh has been a mainstay in clubs and bistros in and around the New York City for more than thirty years. He is also relatively well represented on records as well. This album for the Outstanding Records label feature McHugh and his trio working through a musical program of mostly familiar standards with some originals by McHugh and members of his trio added to give the proceedings a more modern touch. McHugh plays the piano with a flourish with a style and approach falling somewhere in between the immediately recognizable brilliant and eloquent chordal passages of an Erroll Garner and the less ornate but still musically expressive techniques of an Oscar Peterson One thing is for sure, McHugh uses all the space allotted to him on a given track. No unnecessary penny-pinching space saving or minimalist techniques need apply when McHugh is in the room. He can tenderly stroke a tune such as "Laura" getting every bit of emotion built into that song from the movie with which it associated. Similarly, the pathos and tragedy Gershwin built into the music for Porgy and Bess comes through McHugh's finger tips on a medley of tunes from that operetta. His own "Intimite" reveals a sense of humor. The first chorus conveys a lyrical romanticism that borders on classical. But when the second chorus comes around, he and the group have segued into a swinging, jazzy, up tempo improvisation on the melody line. There's some fine pizzicato bass by Earl Sauls on this cut. "It's Delovely" is a classic piano trio playing, with everyone having a lot of fun showing off their wares on Cole Porter's stalwart warhorse.

There's no attempt here to create a major breakthrough so many of the younger players feel they must achieve in today's jazz setting. McHugh comfortably plays good straight ahead jazz, working into the music his own set of ideas, which make good stuff sound that much better. Learn more about McHugh at http://www.voiceoftherockies.com/bob_mchugh.htm. Recommended.

Track Listing

Down Home; Love for Sale; Do What I Can; Laura; Intimite'; Thoughts of Cortina; Big Bill; Porgy & Bess Medley; Ko Ko Clips Oh; Night and Day; Turnpike Soiree; It's Delovely.

Personnel

Bob McHugh - Piano/Leader; Earl Sauls - Bass; Rich Austin - Drums

Album information

Title: Soaring on Wings of Ivory and Black | Year Released: 2002

Comments

Tags


For the Love of 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 create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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