Search - Peter Martin :: Something Unexpected

The New School, Part 100,400,235

Marty Nickison II | Austintown, OH | 08/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jazz is on a comeback! Since the mid-80's, jazz has had a flood of new blood picking up horns, sticks, keys, uprights, and more. The group improvisation ideal famous in the 1950's and the 1960's has returned with a vengeance. Saying all this, new blood is everywhere in the jazz scene today. Thankfully, labels like ECM, MaxJazz, Mack Avenue, Naxos Jazz, Criss Cross, WB Jazz, and many more are getting this new groove into the studios of America to record quickly!



One such artist is Peter Martin. He's from the "New Orleans New School" (Marsalis Family, Nicholas Payton [who plays on this album as well], Brian Blade, and countless others.). He's from a family of violinists and started his music career playing the same instrument. As he matured, the piano (and jazz) edge grabbed him as he drew to this new sound. So, what does most New Orleans existing players know will always help your career? Answer: Get in touch with Wynton Marsalis.



I know Peter from his side work on the desert island classic, "Joshua Redman Quartet: Spirit of the Moment-Live at the Village Vanguard". There, he demonstrated his ability to add virtuosity and harmonic flare to any solo. After hearing this album, I purchased some Brian Blade (the drummer on "Live...") and this album, the first recording from Mr. Martin. I'll briefly describe what I noticed, but let me preface with this exclamation---THE UNDERGROUND IS COOKING!!



This album has 10 total cuts for about 72 minutes total. A full album for the money; a very good financial investment from a quantity standpoint. On this album, his style is different than "Live...". Here, his style has a virtuosity and rhythmic pace of Chick Corea (Solid State days...pre Return to Forever) with a harmony in line with Kenny Drew (early Riverside recordings). He shows that his piano-personality has a wide range dynamic.



Now, the music? "The Queen" is a soft-tone ballad featuring soft horn from Brice Winston (The Terrence Blanchard Quintet) and Nicholas Payton (known trumpeter, New Orleans protégé). The same is for the song "Lovely One". Also notable are Stevie Wonder's "I Wish", "Unusual Suspects", and the piano-horn duet of "Corcovado" [Quiet Night of Quiet Stars]. The cooker, for Peter, is "La Pregunta". It has a Latin flavor with complex meter changes and mode shifts...and his solo is quite exciting also.



Overall, this album is quite the hidden gem. If you like Terrence Blanchard, early Branford Marsalis [especially Requiem], or early Roy Hargrove; this album will fit in your collection. I'm encouraged to see Peter doing a solo project...now to see what's next.

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