Portrait
The Hal Galper Trio...................Concord Jazz CCD4383
W/ Billy Hart, Ray Drummond,Date: February 1989
1. After You've Gone2. Giant Steps
3. What Is This Thing Called Love?
4. If I Didn‘t Care
5. I Should Care
6. I‘ll Be Seeing You
7. In Your Own Sweet Way
8. Azure Sound
Jazz Times
On Portrait, Hal Galper and Co. tackle all standards; often stretching and turning them inside out. Nothing is taken for granted here, other than a consummate sense of swing by Billy Hart's solid drumming. Their trio version of the Coltrane classic Giant Steps is breezy and melodic. The Cole Porter tune that follows, What is This Thing Called Love?, is played right on the edge, teasing all a round the melody, never stating it matter-of-factly in the 6:40 exploration. In contrast, the trio celebrates the melody of the wistful chestnuts, If I Didn't Care and I Should Care. The rendition here of Dave Brubecks composition In Your Own Sweet Way is an exquisite collaboration.This recording is a showcase for Galper's wide-ranging inventiveness.
Pianist Hal Galper's interpretations of eight familiar standards on this trio set with bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Billy Hart are consistently surprising and unpredictable. "Giant Steps" is treated as a sensitive out-of-tempo ballad, "What Is This Thing Called Love" begins with abstract chordings over a riff reminiscent of "Manteca" before the trio launches into a very fast tempo, "If I Didn't Care" is given a melancholy countermelody and "Azure" is made funky. In addiition "I Should Care" and "I'll Be Seeing You" (which are usually dramatic ballads) swing hard. By using the past to create new music, Hal Galper has developed fresh angles to old tunes, and the music on his CD has more than its share of successful surprises.Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Buy It Here!!!!