Search - George Mraz :: Jazz

Excellent Playing, Great Compositions

Stephen Silberman | SF, CA USA | 05/24/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"George Mraz is a musician's musician. Praised by everyone from Tommy Flanagan to Bill Evans, Mraz has a fertile melodic imagination, excellent time, and a sharp ear for tunes that others have overlooked. This album features the elegant playing of the underrated pianist Richard Beirach, with whom Mraz played in the brilliant John Abercrombie Quartet, whose albums on ECM are regrettably out of print. (The liner notes for this album, in fact, mention the fact that Mraz turned down a job in the Bill Evans Trio to go on tour with that band.)The songs here range from Evans' sublime "Time Remembered" -- one of Evans' most beautiful compositions -- to Abercrombie's edgy "Foolish Door" (mistitled "Foolish Dog" on its ECM release) to "The Peacocks," a sad, lovely Jimmy Rowles tune. Mraz overdubs cello-like lines on the theme from "Cinema Paradiso" to poignant effect, and his lead playing on "Spring is Here" is filled with emotion.While this isn't a groundbreaking session, it's a very fine coherent set by a band of great empathy, chops, and taste."

A bassist's must have

Winson C. Hinkle | Germantown MD USA | 02/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jazz bass playing doesn't get muchbetter than this. This is a must-listen-to recording for all jazz bassist.



Even though Mraz missed an opportunity to work with Bill Evans, Bill's music has always been close to his heart. Bierach also has a close affinity to Evans's music but with his own unique stamp."