By Mark Corroto
The old adage, that you know you’re a jazz musician when you realize that there are actually two 9 o’clocks in a day, has been replaced with the revelation that jazz is a musical omnivore. It can consume every style of music from classical to pop as sustenance for a performance. Pianist Danny Green’s proves that argument with his trio recording Altered States.
The pianist was classically trained before delving into rock, ska, then Brazilian musics. His influences inform this recording just as a movie soundtrack shifts and morphs with the storyline.
His forth release as a leader, this disc follows After The Calm (OA2, 2014) and is his third, following a solo recording, with the stellar trio of bassist Justin Grinnell and drummer Julien Cantelm. The consistency of the lineup allows for direct communication between the players on the opener, an infectious blues that hints at Burt Bacharach. Same goes for “Benji’s Song,” a shortish, ninety- six second perfect solo piece that lingers in the mind long after the music stops.
The addition of a string quartet for three pieces expands Green’s artful craft. His writing integrates the quartet into his vision. The strings neither distract, nor alter the innermost marrow of this recording.
See Review at AllAboutJazz.com
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