Search - Renee Rosnes :: Deep Cove

Deep Groove

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 02/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These boppish, in-the-tradition-but-stretching-the-boundaries sessions strike me as among the most difficult to pull off. Why? Hard to make this venerable music sound fresh. But when it works, as it does here, it often works spectacularly.



One thing for sure, I've got a soft spot for Canadian jazzers. I just can't get enough of Jane Bunnett, that marvelous purveyor of deep Afro-Cuban swing and among the finest of the younger soprano sax players. Then there's Marilyn Lerner, another woman who's marvelously mined the Afro-Cuban vein, as well as recorded a stunning duo disc with Canadian guitar legend Sonny Greenwich. And don't forget Kieran Overs, perhaps the finest unknown jazz bassist on the planet. Plus expat Canadian trumpet master Kenny Wheeler. And rising piano star Chris Gestrin. Not to mention Francois Houle, a clarinetist and composer of huge (and largely underrecognized) talent. The list just goes on and on.



What we've got here are top echelon players (Renee Rosnes, piano; Campbell Ryga, alto and soprano sax; Neil Swainson, acoustic bass; and Rudy Petschauer, drums) in a relaxed though challenging session, playing their hearts out. The disc is a kind of memorial tribute to another Canadian, the brilliant bassist Chris Nelson, who, although he was scheduled to be part of this session, sadly passed before it could be put together.



Rosnes especially finds herself at the very top of her form. Maybe it's because of the congeniality of playing with some of her country's absolute top musicians, I don't know, but she's got that wonderful dancing, lilting pianistic flow happening with uncanny ease. And she absolutely connects with Riga's swinging alto and soprano, a player whom I've not heard before, but wouldn't hesitate to check out in just about any setting. With a distinct and original concept on both horns, he comes across as a player of huge consequence. Check out esp. his soprano solo on the slow-loping Rosnes original, "Manhattan Rain."



Featuring about an equal blend of standards and originals, ballads and mid-tempo groove numbers, these players stamp this somewhat hoary music with such authority and weight as to make it sound newly minted."

Stellar Session From Rosnes

J. Rich | 01/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Deep Cove" is one of those great modern jazz recordings that has seemed to not get any kind of press at all, which is a shame, because it's one of Renee Rosnes' finest recordings. Joining Rosnes are Campbell Ryga on alto and soprano saxophones, Neil Swainson on bass, and Rudy Petschauer on drums.



Of all the recent jazz recordings I've heard, this album has to be up on the my top 5 list. It swings, it's lyrical, and the improvisations are beautiful. Anyone a fan of Rosnes' piano playing should not hesitate to pick this album up."