Greg Reitan - Antibes '2010

Tracks list

Tracklist:

[6:52] 01. Greg Reitan - Antibes
[6:29] 02. Greg Reitan - For Heavens Sake
[6:26] 03. Greg Reitan - Waltz For Meredith
[3:57] 04. Greg Reitan - One Step Ahead
[4:51] 05. Greg Reitan - Fall
[6:10] 06. Greg Reitan - Time Remembers One Time Once
[5:47] 07. Greg Reitan - Sympathy
[4:42] 08. Greg Reitan - September
[5:07] 09. Greg Reitan - Re: Person I Knew
[3:19] 10. Greg Reitan - Late Summer Variations
[5:21] 11. Greg Reitan - Salinas
[2:50] 12. Greg Reitan - In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

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For his second CD release in less than a year, pianist Greg Reitan expands his
horizons further with a program of originals and select standards identifying a
blossoming player whose youth and experience at age 36 serves him and the
listener quite well. He has passed the Bill Evans sobriety test, avoids
clichés of speed demons like Chick Corea, and has a European classicists
approach similar, but not totally beholden to Keith Jarrett or Denny Zeitlin.
Intellectual without ignoring beauty and romantic aspects of modern jazz piano
playing, Reitan has all the talent, sensitivity, and good common sense to be a
top-notch interpreter and expressionist for a long time. As evidenced by his
performance of the title track -- dedicated to the area in the south of France
renowned for its annual jazz festivals -- Reitans elegant, mysterious, quick
waltz is completely captivating. Admitting to being influenced by Glenn Gould
(who isnt really?), the pianist steps it up even further on the bright, original
line loaded with time changes September, a fleet, darting melody of One Step
Ahead with a canny bop sensibility that parallels Bud Powell, and uses a repeat
phrase similar to the Beatles Blackbird on another romping theme, Salinas, with
a Pat Metheny like rural plains motif to boot. Bassist Jack Daro and drummer
Dean Koba are along for this ride with plenty of smarts and taste not to get in
harms way. They do provide a certain synergy and depth-of-field vision when
Reitan downshifts, as on the evocative Bill Evans composition Re: A Person I
Knew, Wayne Shorters calmed, eventually cool Fall, Zeitlins hushed and implied
Time Remembers One Time Once, the lithe Waltz for Meredith, the patient In the
Wee Small Hours of the Morning, or the empathetic, compassionate Jarrett piece
Sympathy. Theres much to enjoy and appreciate on Reitans sophomore effort, a
good-sized leap forward for this emerging artist, a fine example of how progress
is measured as time goes by and wisdom grows.

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