When
considering pop artists whose music might readily lend itself to a jazz
milieu, Stevie Wonder's name isn't one that springs readily to mind.
Organist Pat Bianchi, however, felt that Wonder had Something to Say in a
jazz context, so he set about canvassing Wonder's art and reimagining
it in terms of an organ trio, accentuating the composer's singular gift
for melody and harmony and replacing the lyrics with solos by organ,
guitar and (in two instances) tenor saxophone.
To fully
appreciate the scope of Bianchi's vision, one would of course have to be
a fan of Wonder's music; otherwise, what emerges is a sequence of
well-drawn but otherwise unexceptional songs performed by an impressive
trio: Bianchi, guitarist Paul Bollenback and drummer Byron Landham—with
tenor Wayne Escoffery making it a foursome on "Superstition" and
"Something to Say." Considered on those terms, Something to Say has a
great deal to say, much of it admirable and well worth enjoying.
Wonder
wrote every song on the album save one—Bianchi's fast-paced "Just
Callin,'" which is a variant of "I Just Called to Say I Love You."
Bianchi took pains to assure that Wonder's melodies remained basically
as written, which is true of tempos as well, adding improvisation as the
jazz component. So fans of the author needn't "wonder" what's going
down when the trio sets course on such staples as "Go Home," "Moon
Blue," "If It's Magic" or any of the others including perhaps the most
recognizable of Wonder's tunes (on this album), "Isn't She Lovely."
Bianchi shows he has chops to spare on every one of them, as does
Bollenback, while Landham provides sharp and perceptive rhythmic support
and weighs in with a heated solo on "Just Callin.'" Escoffery's solos
provide effective counterpoint without straying from the hard-bop
premise, while Bianchi, whose voice is the most often heard, is always
eloquent and in control.
There are two ways to appraise the
album: as a tribute to the remarkable talents of Stevie Wonder, or as a
series of handsome songs ably performed by a first-class organ-led trio.
Either way, the listener wins.
By Jack Bowers
December 25, 2021
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/something-to-say-the-music-of-stevie-wonder-pat-bianchi-savant-records
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Cuando
pensamos en artistas pop cuya música podría prestarse fácilmente a un
entorno de jazz, el nombre de Stevie Wonder no es uno de los que nos
vienen a la mente. El organista Pat Bianchi, sin embargo, pensó que
Wonder tenía algo que decir en un contexto de jazz, así que se puso a
explorar el arte de Wonder y a reimaginarlo en términos de trío de
órgano, acentuando el singular don del compositor para la melodía y la
armonía y sustituyendo las letras por solos de órgano, guitarra y (en
dos casos) saxofón tenor.
Para apreciar plenamente el alcance de
la visión de Bianchi, uno tendría que ser, por supuesto, un fan de la
música de Wonder; de lo contrario, lo que surge es una secuencia de
canciones bien dibujadas, pero por lo demás poco excepcionales,
interpretadas por un trío impresionante: Bianchi, el guitarrista Paul
Bollenback y el batería Byron Landham, con el tenor Wayne Escoffery como
cuarteto en "Superstition" y "Something to Say". Considerado en esos
términos, Something to Say tiene mucho que decir, mucho de ello
admirable y que merece la pena disfrutar.
Wonder escribió todas
las canciones del álbum excepto una: "Just Callin'", de Bianchi, que es
una variante de "I Just Called to Say I Love You". Bianchi se esmeró en
asegurarse de que las melodías de Wonder se mantuvieran básicamente como
estaban escritas, lo que se aplica también a los tempos, añadiendo la
improvisación como componente jazzístico. Así que los fans del autor no
tienen por qué "preguntarse" qué está pasando cuando el trío pone rumbo a
temas tan básicos como "Go Home", "Moon Blue", "If It's Magic" o
cualquiera de los otros, incluyendo quizás el más reconocible de los
temas de Wonder (en este álbum), "Isn't She Lovely". Bianchi demuestra
que tiene chuletas de sobra en cada una de ellas, al igual que
Bollenback, mientras que Landham proporciona un apoyo rítmico agudo y
perspicaz y pesa con un solo acalorado en "Just Callin'". Los solos de
Escoffery proporcionan un contrapunto efectivo sin alejarse de la
premisa del hard-bop, mientras que Bianchi, cuya voz es la que más se
escucha, es siempre elocuente y tiene el control.
Hay dos maneras
de valorar el álbum: como un homenaje al notable talento de Stevie
Wonder, o como una serie de bellas canciones hábilmente interpretadas
por un trío de primera clase dirigido por un órgano. En cualquier caso,
el oyente sale ganando.
Por Jack Bowers
December 25, 2021
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/something-to-say-the-music-of-stevie-wonder-pat-bianchi-savant-records
patbianchi.com ...
Tracks:
1 - Go Home
2 - Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
3 - Moon Blue
4 - Isn't She Lovely
5 - If It's Magic
6 - Something to Say
7 - Just Callin'
8 - Ribbon in the Sky
Credits:
Pat Bianchi: organ, Hammond B3;
Paul Bollenback: guitar;
Byron Landham: drums;
Wayne Escoffery: saxophone, tenor.
Released: 2021
Label: Savant Records
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