Cliff Korman: Urban Tracks

An avid listener of Brazilian music could go crazy trying to figure out exactly where Cliff Korman comes down musicially. His opening track , "Cheio de Malicia" could almost be taken for some sort of stride-bossa—the same feel pops up on "Canhoto" too—with allusions to Kenny Barron, Vince Guaraldi, McCoy Tyner even. Paired with bassist Harvie S, who seems to top himself on each successive track, Korman's creativity and sheer musicianship is a delight, the "sound of surprise" if there ever was one. Just when a listener thinks, "ah, that's what he's doing" no, a different path emerges.

Finally, probably not without a little exasperation, the inevitable conclusion. Does it really matter from whence Korman comes or, for that matter, where he is going? However many times "Whisper Not" or "Manhã de Carnaval" has passed through a well worn set of speakers, there is something fresh here, especially in the interplay between bass, piano and drums. It is the mark of sophisticated musical thinking: the repertoire is familiar, but the result, fresh and intriguing. No, an audience will not get lost, but it will not get bored either. This is a tough balance to strike for any artist, and Korman does it as well as any. Although quoting "My Shining Hour" on Toninho Horta's "Francisca" is surely novel, that pretty much sums up the overall effect of "Urban Tracks": heard that song before, but surely not that way.

Korman's musical journey no doubt explains much of what one hears. A native New Yorker, Korman now resides in Brazil, where he teaches at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. A first-time listener understands that it is precisely the difficulty in pigeon-holing Korman that may account for his regrettable lack of familiarity to some in the United States, a number of previous recordings—e.g., Brasilified (2022, Tiger Turn)—notwithstanding. To which it is possible only to respond: yes, it may take a while for some to catch up, but they will surely get there as soon as they can. A pianist very much worth hearing, and more than once.

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