CD review of Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret by John McBeath for Jazz Australia
Originally published by The Australian
US pianist Myra Melford in 2014 released an acclaimed duo piano recording, Everything Here is Possible, with Australian pianist Alister Spence, winning an Australian Art Award. Here she appears leading her quintet for this New York recording of ten of her originals.
While Melford is recognised as a virtuosic player with a variety of global influences, often cutting edge avant garde, she is also a deeply soulful pianist with a passionate understanding of Carribean music and the blues. There’s a wonderfully bluesy opening to the final track, The Strawberry, which evolves into a thickly chorded post-bop theme for Ron Miles driving cornet solo, followed by Liberty Ellman’s sprightly guitar, all powered by Tyshawn Sorey’s hyper-active drum work.
Appropriately the tempo is lowered for Night of Sorrow as the rippling piano meanders in melancholy, adding octave-spaced high tremolos as Sorey takes up soft brushes and Stomu Takeishi’s bass guitar supplies a haunting non-disruptive underpinning. The guitar provides a thoughtful sequence, continuing while Melford takes up the melodica for a chorus.
First Protest opens with quick solo piano flashes as speeding drums arrive and the piano builds frantically before dropping into a jagged theme with the cornet. Ellman’s guitar alternates between running notes and stabbing chords as the piece intensifies in a stop/start way to an abrupt finale.
A lyrically precise cornet solo begins The Virgin of Guadalupe to introduce canonical accompaniment from piano and guitar leading on to a bass guitar passage of flowing beauty.
This is an outstanding album of varied compositions and superior performances in both ensemble and solos with exceptional piano contributions.
