| Power of the Piano, the debut recording from jazz pianist Dave Frank, is a tour-de-force of solo piano, featuring blistering up-tempo improvisations, lush ballads and rollicking blues.
Frank has developed his unique approach to solo piano performance over a period of 25 years, and clearly excels in this demanding format. On Power of the Piano, he wrote all but one of the songs and carefully varied moods and tempos, creating a complete musical landscape. Frank's "Seasons of the Soul" are four musical poems that depict each season with sensitivity and understanding. In contrast, the heatede "Sailing in the Sea of Joy," "Wailing in the Joy of 'C'" and "Overcoming" feature contrapuntal passages that display what Frank calls "the spirit of the burn!" "The Mind of Miro'" is an advanced harmonic exploration utilizing block chords, while "Boogie Man Blues" romps a la Memphis Slim. Other selections include the modal, hypnotic "Dave's Wave," a hilarious takeoff on Jobim's "How Insensitive," and the swinging "Gone with the Breeze." The CD concludes with a memorable two-part tribute to Lennie Tristano, containing the CD's featured track "Turning it Loose!"
Power of the Piano showcases Dave Frank's sensitivity, prodigious technique, and wide palette of emotional colors. He's a new voice in jazz, and one you'll be hearing much more of in the years to come. |