Search - Dave Catney :: Window of Light

Lost too soon.....musical genius, piano giant

mike morrison/Independentsmusic | Houston, Texas | 03/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording is a miracle. Put together from 2 track recordings done originally on a musician's budget, engineer and producer Randy Miller has revived the ghost of Dave Catney, calling to us from his "window of light". Dave was taken too soon in his young life from a disease that has robbed the world of countless blessings. Catney, a young lion who Chick Corea encouraged and corresponded with, would have surely been one of the premier international pianists of the next 40 years should fate have dealt him a different hand. That being said, the mark that he made on jazz music and jazz piano on the whole is remarkable. With several recordings on Houston based Justice Records, Dave shook even seasoned veterans Mark Johnson and Peter Erskine during the making of their studio album together. And on no other recording can this pure talent be heard than "window of light". His original compositions are mature, graceful, technically challenging, and incredibly emotional. His treatment of "Three Views of a Secret" by the iconic bassist Jaco Pastorius is respectful and adventurous. The standards are invigorated and edgy. This is Dave--all Dave. Young, strong, fast, tuned in, and hungry. And the relaxed enviroment it was recorded in wasn't thinking "radio" or "marketing" in any way, shape, or form. All Dave was thinking was PLAY!!! And play he does. Without regard to perfection, acceptance, or any other thing that makes real musicians make deals with the devil. No deals here----just playing. While most engineers would cringe at having to make a two track recording originally done on a shoe-string budget, Randy Miller has taken tracks with tons of raw life and polished them to a remarkable shine. With financial and charitable backing from Executive Producer, Armando Lichtenberger, Miller has let the world see what we in Houston knew for a long time. Dave Catney was one of the best pianists on the planet. Do yourself a favor---open the window for yourself and see the light."

Don't pull the shade.

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 08/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What's that old saw about having to die to become famous? Don't believe it for an instant. In my experience, even knowledgeable followers of the piano jazz scene are unfamiliar with Dave Catney, the extraordinary talent who succumbed to AIDS at the age of 33, leaving behind a mere handful of recordings to document his music--all the more remarkable when one considers that some of it was recorded while Catney was concurrently withstanding the effects of early toxic HIV drugs.



Despite his youth and formidable challenges, Catney to my ears equals if not surpasses heralded, recent players like Mehldau, Moran, and Pieranunzi as well as venerables like Jarrett. In fact, I seriously doubt any pianist has come closer to capturing Bill Evans' legacy. He throws himself into each piece with uncalculated abandon, his tone ranging from pensive reflectiveness to passionate lyricism to incisive, percussive athleticism. And his fingers hit their mark with uncanny, unfailing accuracy. If he has a "fault," it's simply that he tries to say everything in every piece, finding it impossible to contain his imagination, his joie de vivre, his overflowing font of inspiration. Had he lived, no doubt he would have developed some clever "hooks" to catch and hold the common listener's attention. Thank goodness he hadn't developed such theatrics before leaving us.



If you can't get your hands on "Jade Visions," "Window of Light" is almost as worthy. And if you have the other recordings, consider this one an essential addition. The program, the playing, the obscure rhythm section, the audio quality are all first-rate. The title could not have been better chosen. This recording is a window of light in the frequently dark and reductive, self-indulgent and pretentious cultural miasma of the current music scene. Not to sound overly cynical, but after listening to a recording such as this, a number of currently popular pianists are likely to breathe a sigh of relief that this is one genius they won't be forced to contend with. Can't say I would blame them."