The untimely death of bassist Dennis Irwin offers yet another sobering lesson in jazz musician mortality. Drummer Eliot Zigmund had his own brush with the hereafter several years ago, the victim of kidney failure. He’s since made a full recovery and this Steeplechase date, delayed in release due to his illness, illustrates what the jazz community might have lost had he not been so fortuitous. Zigmund’s music is very much rooted in what could safely be called the “mainstream”. He got his start in the company of Bill Evans and went on to gig in the bands of Gary Peacock, Michel Petrucciani and others. His apprenticeship also included dates with the likes of Stan Getz, Lee Konitz and Pepper Adams. As influences go, it’s Philly Joe Jones at the forefront and his crisp lean attack definitely owes much to the elder drummer. He exhibits taste and wisdom throughout the set, avoiding bombast and leading from a position of sensitivity and receptive self-restraint.
Zigmund surrounds a solitary standard, a supple spin “I Wish I Knew”, with eight originals. Three from the leader, two apiece from saxophonist Mike Lee and bassist Phil Palombi, and a single entry by pianist Gary Versace. None of the tunes stand out all that much, but collectively provide plenty of room for the quartet to state a strong case within their chosen stylistic parameters. The date as a whole has the pervading feel of a late to mid-60s Blue Note session. Soprano surfaces for Zigmund’s billowy bossa “Breeze”, but Lee speaks mainly through tenor with a round dry tone that suggests a fair amount of Joe Henderson in his listening past. Versace is his usual impeccable self, comping and soloing with a clean geometric precision and contributing the lush snail-paced ballad “Homeland”. As for the bassist, Palombi expresses palpable LaFaro love on “For Scott”. Surprises are few in terms of songbook and execution, but within the album’s relatively narrow idiomatic niche this is perfectly acceptable effort. Zigmund’s health tribulations bring the pleasures of the album into heightened focus with a reminder that the opportunity to express oneself musically is, in a very real sense, a gift.
~ Derek Taylor
[Steeplechase titles are available direct through Stateside AT prodigy DOT net]
Posted by derek on March 13, 2008 8:35 AM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................