Romantic Jazz Trio – The Sweetest Sound (Vinil 180g, LP dublu)

New York City-born composer, arranger, and pianist John Di Martino is a favorite among some of the world’s best singers, musicians, and producers. Di Martino has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and has performed with renowned artists such as Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Joe Lovano, David “Fat Head” Newman, Pat Martino, Paquito D’Rivera, and Houston Person. Together with Ugonna Okegwo (bass) and Grady Tate (drums), the keyboard virtuoso presents an incredibly diverse and captivating program that is hard to resist. “The Sweetest Sound” was recorded on August 30 and 31, 2003, at the “Avatar Studio” in New York, USA, and produced by Tetsuo Hara.

“In his time on the New York scene pianist John di Martino has established a widely respected reputation as an adaptable straight-ahead player, a sensitive and sought-after accompanist of singers, and, having worked in the bands of Ray Barretto and Bobby Sanabria, among others, a brilliant Latin jazz keyboard artist. How wonderful it is that the versatile di Martino, at last, has gotten the chance to highlight his many gifts in a classic trio setting with two exemplary associates. Ugonna Okegwo is one of the most active freelance bassists working today, and with good reason. For over four decades Grady Tate has served as ‘the musician’s drummer,’ having backed an astounding array of instrumental and vocal talent. Di Martino presents Tate with a rhythmic tour de force on the opening track, infusing Ernesto Lecuona’s ‘La Comparsa’ with a New Orleans street beat. Two other Cuban standards, the rumba ‘Drume Negrita’ and the bolero ‘Historia de un Amor,’ receive more traditional treatments, revealing di Martino’s experience in and regard for the genre. Jazz musicians know that ‘My Melancholy Baby’ is one of those tunes. OK, you all may roll your eyes now, but the pianist, supported by Okegwo’s clean two-beat feel and Tate’s clipped, tightly closed hi-hat time, paraphrases the shopworn melody without a hint of irony or condescension. The trio’s handling of ‘And I Love Her,’ leisurely and languid, until suddenly energized in the coda, demonstrates that there still are many riches left to mine in the Beatles’ songbook. Di Martino seems to take inspiration from the title of Luis Bonfa’s bossa nova, ‘The Gentle Rain,’ employing a light touch that makes each notes fall like drops of rain. This lovely track also offers up still more joys of Grady Tate, whose subtle brush work is, at times, more felt than heard. He truly is the ‘anti-Buddy Rich,’ making his presence known, not as an overpowering or dominating force in the ensemble, or even as a soloist (although he is a wonderful one), but by what he can contribute to enhance the collective performance. You may not always notice Grady Tate when he is there, but you miss him when he is not. The same can be said of Ugonna Okegwo, who, on a straight-ahead, unpretentious treatment of Richard Rodgers’ ‘The Sweetest Sound,’ does exactly what a bassist should do in a trio setting, working in close tandem with di Martino, strengthening and supporting the pianist’s elegantly swinging lines. The romanticism of ‘John di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio’ is unbound in ‘The Things I Love,’ based on a theme by the ultimate romantic, Tchaikovsky, but discreet touches of the blues help keep it real. At over nine minutes, the album’s longest track, ‘You Must Believe in Spring,’ affords di Martino an opportunity for extended, inspired exploration. Especially instructive is his use of block chords, richly voiced, effectively placed, always an enhancement, never a cliché or a crutch. John di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio is, in fact, a recording session-generated group, but after hearing this album you just may think it was a permanent working unit and you’ll wish it was.” – Bob Bernotas

Strictly limited double LP. The records are cut at 33 RPM and pressed on 180-gram Vinyl.

MUSICIANS

John Di Martino: piano
Ugonna Okegwo: bass
Grady Tate: drums

Venus Records was founded in Japan in 1992 by Tetsuo Hara, who had previously worked as a producer for RCA Victor. The renowned label uses a special mastering process called “Hyper Magnum Sound,” which produces a powerful, dynamic sound and is highly regarded by audiophiles worldwide. A quick note: Venus LPs are pressed only once. Once the run is sold out, the title is removed from the catalog and will not be reissued. Collectors should therefore not wait too long to place their orders: the releases from the “Venus Masterpiece Collection” are extremely popular!

We recommend the use of „L’Art du Son” LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.

Lista pieselor

LP 1

Side A
1. La Comparsa
2. My Melancholy Baby
3. Historia De Un Amor

Side B
1. The Gentle Rain
2. The Sweetest Sound
3. Drume Negrita

LP 2

Side C
1. In My Solitude
2. The Lamp Is Low
3. The Things I Love

Side D
1. You Must Believe In Spring
2. And I Love Her