Cary Kilner

Cary Kilner's Picks: Volume 4

Nicholas Peyton – Relaxin’
Such a beautiful groove and so tastefully done. Beautiful chord changes and engaging melody. I spent an afternoon transcribing it so I could play it.
With an unusual form, it has two added bars at the end that delay the tune’s evolution from the melody (“head”) to the choruses (the improvisation), when the drummer goes from brushes to sticks. There is lots of space so you can clearly hear everything and don’t feel rushed.

A beautiful little repeated figure comes up on piano at 3:35; check it out. At 7:10 Nicholas goes to electric piano and comes in subtly and deftly at 7:18, creating a really nice segue into his trumpet choruses.

According to the online notes I found, he is playing piano and trumpet; and in a live performance. How can he do this? Is he holding the trumpet in his right hand and comping chords on electric piano with his left hand? I cannot imagine he is multi-tracking because it is too organic. And I also don’t hear an audience. This is something for an interested Seacoast Jazz Notes reader to help to sort out for us.
 
Pat Metheny Group – Everything Explained
 Pat’s performance from this 2020 release is of his usual high quality. Notice an outstanding piece of piano playing at 3:15 that sets up a whole other part of the tune. The players on this cut are Pat, guitar; Gwilym Simcock, piano;  Linda May Han Oh, Bass; Antonio Sanchez, drums; and the Hollywood Studio Symphony, conducted by Joel, McNeely.

Phineas Newborn, Jr. – Juicy Lucy 
This is a second selection from the album, A World of Piano, as a contrast with the high energy of Oleo from last week. It shows you another side of the beauty of this pianist. Note at 1:15 the transition from playing the head “in two,” followed by the transition to playing “in four” to build the groove during the improvisation. You’ll love its bouncy nature and sweet sound, enhanced by the great rhythm section of Sam Jones and Louis Hayes on loan from the Cannonball Adderley quintet.

Speaking of Oleo, you may be interested in this alternative version because it provides a video of his hands and of the trio playing. For us pianists, it is downright scary.