Myra Melford,
12 from 25 (Firehouse 12 Records, 2018). Melford is one of my favorite living jazz pianists; I think she gets overlooked amidst all the (justified) accolades for slightly younger peers like Vijay Iyer and Jason Moran. She skews "avant," or maybe "inside/out" (she's kind of an AACM baby), but her sensibility is also deeply rooted in blues and stride, and she can spin beautiful melodies and swing when she wants to. The videos on this Blu-Ray--shot in high-def with 5.1 sound--were recorded during a prestigious weeklong residency at John Zorn's old East Village club, The Stone (which has since moved to the New School campus), in 2015. The mixes are nothing special: The Stone was tiny, so there's not much to be done about bleed between mics. And oddly, for the group numbers, Melford's piano tends to be focused in the rears or even the left rear. But the sound is great, and at 35 bucks, I think this disc is a bargain: twelve documents of Melford in collaboration with different groups she's led and friends she's partnered with over a (then) twenty-five-year career.
12 track album
firehouse12records.com
The visionary jazz pianist offers an abundance of musical riches. Here’s our guide to a few outstanding gems.
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