Greg Reitan - Antibes '2010

Tracks list

Tracklist:

[6:52] 01. Greg Reitan - Antibes
[6:29] 02. Greg Reitan - For Heaven's 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 -- Reitan's elegant, mysterious, quick
waltz is completely captivating. Admitting to being influenced by Glenn Gould
(who isn't 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 harm's 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 Shorter's calmed, eventually cool
"Fall," Zeitlin's 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." There's much to enjoy
and appreciate on Reitan's 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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