Search - Alan Broadbent :: Live at Maybeck 14

A Record for Lovers of Solo Jazz Piano

Gary L Connely | Hercules, CA | 09/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Concord Records has allowed most, if not all, of the 40+ titles in the "... Live at Maybeck Recital Hall" series to lapse. That's a terrible loss to lovers of solo jazz piano. Fortunately the albums can still be found on Amazon - but who knows for how much longer. Recorded thoughout most of the 1990's in a small redwood paneled performance space located in a private home in the hills overlooking Berkeley, CA, the players in the Maybeck series are uniformly excellent, (but by no means are they "uniform"), and their song selection is consistently interesting. There's not a bad record in the bunch and Alan Broadbent's album, (the 14th in the series), is no exception.



Alan Broadbent is an extraordinary bop pianist. Unfortunately he's probably better known as an award winning arranger, for everyone from Woody Shaw to Natalie Cole, and as a member of Chalie Haden's Quartet West, (Mr Broadbent is responsible for the wonderful, understated piano work on that group's "Haunted Heart" and "Now Is the Hour" records), than his solo piano playing. But one listen to "... Live at Maybeck..." will convince you that the guy is a big league jazzer. There's little "flashing fingers" stuff here - just lovely, melodic, lyrical renditions of three original compositions and ten cuts from the likes of Billy Strayhorn, Horace Silver and Lenny Tristano. Well OK, there is some "flash" on Bud Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare."



The sonics are up to Concord's usual standards: Clear and warm.



This is a beautiful record by an outstanding player."