Search - Denny Zeitlin :: Cathexis / Carnival

The best jazz piano trio recordings of the 60's...

Douglas M May | Phoenix, AZ USA | 12/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Zeitlin's playing became looser, freer, more searching in the 70's but for me these performances remain the pinnacle of his art. At the time, many jazz critics objected to his tightly structured arrangements, his programmatic tendencies, and his obvious willingness to borrow from classical composers as disparate as Ives and Bartok. Today, his playing from this period seems magically fresh and John Hammond's analog production fantastically warm and alive. Technically, he has never been surpassed--not by Jarrett, not by Corea, not by anyone except maybe Phineas Newborn and, of course, Art Tatum. Listen to "Blue Phoenix" from "Cathexis." The outer sections resemble Lennis Tristano crossed with George Russell's harmonic methods, all stitched together with piano figurations from Stravinsky, Bartok and Prokofiev. The middle section is a supremely cool set of blues variations which explores similar emotional territory to Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue." Or listen to "Little Children, Don't Go Near That House." I remember
Kenny Dorham, in a Down Beat review of the time, called it Bartokian stride piano, and it's haunting, wistful, like Bill Evans with even more emotional depth and complex overtones. The re-mastering on the CD is excellent. I can only regret the absence of "All The Things You Are" from the "Carnival" album which was omitted because of time constraints, and which is the single greatest performance of that venerable tune that I've ever heard. Over the years, I've tried to find another pianist who can do what Denny Zeitline does. I've gone from Mike Wofford to Borah Bergman to Jarrett to Corea, but there is only one Denny Zeitlin. Here's hoping he's still making music and balancing his twin careers of jazz and medicine."

Good News and Not So Good News

Andrew Stevenson | Union Springs, New York | 08/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Denny Zeitlin is a double professional; he is both a psychiatrist and a pianist. I know nothing about his efforts to promote good mental health, but I can comment on his musical contributions. He is a consistently inventive pianist who has made some of the finest piano trio recordings ever. With the release of this reissue CD there is good news and not so good news. The good news is that the buyer gets Zeitlin's 1964 album "Cathexis" in its entirety. Denny's moody interpretation of Monk's "'Round Midnight" alone is worth the price, but the rest of the album is of high caliber as well. The not so good news is that only five of the nine original cuts from the "Carnival" LP are included. Among the four missing cuts are "We'll Be Together Again" and "Once Upon a Summertime" both of which rank among Zeitlin's best recorded ballad work. I bought "Cathexis" when it was released alone on CD so buyers of this reissue are getting five bonus tracks that I didn't. But we long time Zeitlin fans deserve "Carnival" in its entirety..... not to mention Denny's finest recorded effort "Live At the Trident." Come to think of it I can comment on Zeitlin's efforts to promote good mental health. His music makes me feel wonderful!"

Simply Excellent Music

J. Renton | Oakland, CA USA | 01/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As more a jazz fan rather than an expert who knows little about Danny Zeitlin, I hesitate to add too much to this, except to say that this CD is consistently enjoyable throughout.



I put this on my iPod - where I have many jazz piano recordings - and I found that when I put the thing on shuffle, I keep on discovering that the beautiful, melodic, and harmonically interesting song I just listened to is by Danny Zeitlin. Wow."