Musicians: Claire Ritter (piano), Jon Metzger (vibraphone), Jane Hart Brendle (violin), Ashima Scripp (cello), Dave Holland (bass on bonus track 16)
Review:
To gain an understanding of the density of Claire Ritter's musical persona, consider the following influences that make their way into her work for Waltzing The Splendor: the peculiar genius of Thelonius Monk (as both a composer and pianist), the inspiration of Georgia O'Keefe's 1919 oil painting "Orange and Red Streak" (which doubles as the cover art), the tutelage of jazz piano legend Mary Lou Williams, and a degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. Waltzing The Splendor is Ritter's ninth self-produced release on Zoning Recordings. All of the compositions are her originals with two exceptions: Harold Arlen's classic "Over The Rainbow" and "Valsa" by Brazilian Caetano Veloso.
The record--and Ritter's playing--covers a pretty broad stylistic landscape. "Punch," the opener, is Monk-ish in the use of abrupt block chords but less angular than a Monk original; it melts immediately into a solo piano version of "Over The Rainbow" on which Ritter's playing is firmly melodic, perfectly capturing the dreamy longing conveyed by the lyrics. The musical and inspirational center of the record is Ritter's "Four Jazz Serenades for Georgia O'Keefe, Opus 23." Here she adds violin, cello, and vibraphone to her piano, and evokes the natural surroundings of O'Keefe's life, from the pastoral farmland of her childhood to the striking, spartan beauty of the southwestern desert of New Mexico. Ritter provocatively mixes a joyful lyricism on the strings with occasional near-discordant piano strikes to juxtapose these landscapes. Another standout is "Funky Feet" where Ritter hints at some of the stride piano she must have learned at the hands of the great Mary Lou Williams.
Waltzing the Splendor moves swiftly through its 18 pieces, as all but one (a beautiful bass solo called "In Between" composed by Ritter and performed by Dave Holland) are less than three minutes in length. It is like a musical tapas dinner with many small servings of delightful dishes that showcase a variety of flavors and textures. Ritter even gives us reprise versions of three of the tunes near the end of the record, allowing the unusual opportunity to hear how a composer might render her own works differently. Sit back and enjoy the marvelous talents of a thoroughly American jazz composer and performer.
Tracks: Punch; Over the Rainbow; Integrity; Echo Meadow; Valsa; Four Jazz Serenades for Georgia O'Keefe, Opus 23: No. 1 - OrangeRedYellowGold, No. 2 - Painter's Serenade, No. 3 - Strings in the Desert, No. 4 - Waltzing the Splendor; Telepathy, Hot Pepper, Suppose, Funky Feet, Carolina Canto, Punch, In Between, Waltzing the Splendor, Hot Pepper
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