Search - Lynne Arriale Trio :: Arise

A revelation

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 04/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, it's great to see someone dipping into the Egberto Gismonti songbook--and with such aplomb and accomplishment. Yes, "Frevo" gets things off to a rousing start--pretty much what you want unless you're some moribund post-rock freak. Arriale's understanding of perhaps the greatest living Brazilian jazz artist is nothing short of astounding. She captures all the inherent freneticism of this rollicking, roiling piece, plus imbues it with thoroughly authentic Brazilian soul. And things pretty much continue on from there without let up. The trio (bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Steve Davis joining pianist Arriale) turns the BTO hit "American Woman" into something almost unrecognizable and totally unexpected: a dark and dirty blues, perfectly apposite, one imagines, as a gloss on the vagaries and vicissitudes of life for North American females at the beginning of the 21st century. Remarkable, tough-minded, and sheerly brilliant. The title cut, an Arriale original, with it's profound gospel sensibility, recalling "Deep River," marks a complete change of pace, but it's handled with such dignity, soulfulness, and attention to detail that it bespeaks complete conviction even as it resonates with glorious churchly sonorities.Bill Withers's classic "Lean on Me" takes on a surprising calypso-like vibe, sounding quite a bit like the music I heard at a Bahamian church service several years ago. Vibrant, joyful, infectious. A Latinate sensibility continues with the Arriale original, "Esperanza," with its deep Afro-Cuban swing. Esperanza indeed. I'm hoping this cut never ends, what with Steve Davis going nuts on his kit as he morphs into a killer trading-fours section with leader Arriale. An off-the-charts funky blues reading of "Change the World" makes me wonder what this wonder-woman of a jazz pianist can't do. What perhaps seals the deal as much as anything is a disturbing, almost-scary reading of "Kum Ba Ya." Somebody else I recently reviewed did a pretty cool rendition of this heretofore-thought unredeemable chestnut (I don't remember who, it's too late at night, and I'm just too tired to search through my myriad reviews to come up with the artist), but I'm pretty sure Arriale's blows that one out of the water.What comes across most strongly in this music is the leader's astounding ability to discover and present completely unforeseen approaches in such a wide variety of popular and classic jazz numbers even as she showcases steeped-in-the-tradition yet smartly updated original compositions. The band's ability to absolutely nail these oddly appropriate renderings only adds more fuel to an already raging-out-of-control musical bonfire.I waited far to long to check out this astounding artist, certainly among the absolute first rank of contemporary jazz pianists (and no slouch as a composer, arranger, and bandleader, either). Don't you do the same."

DAYTON SAYS: BUY ARISE

Craig William Dayton | 04/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"They call her a poet...a poet of the piano keyboard. Lynne Arriale, along with long-time members of the Lynne Arriale Trio (Steve Davis on drums and Jay Anderson on bass) have released another CD filled with the integrity that has placed the Lynne Arriale Trio at the top of the world of Jazz. What sets the music of the Lynne Arriale Trio apart from many other Jazz artists is that their music draws you in. I am a big Jazz fan. But, in my opinion, too many Jazz artists seem intent on building a wall between the listeners and themselves. This is not the case with Lynne and her associates. They draw you in and easily turn you into a fan. I have all of the CDs of the Trio. Every past CD is a gem, and so is the new "Arise" CD. Along with being a world-class pianist, Lynne is also one of the finest composers of our time. Four more of her compositions can be heard on this "Arise" CD. And, as far as music arranging goes, they don't come any better than Lynne Arriale. For example...the last cut is "Kum Ba Ya". Yes, the same "Kum Ba Ya" we used to sing around campfires. Lynne takes "Kum Ba Ya," stirs in the inner beauty and musical creativity that only she can provide, wraps it all up in the professional integrity of the Lynne Arriale Trio, and offers it up to us as a highly reflective musical gift to keep in our hearts. Do yourself a favor and buy "Arise". This poet and her Trio will not disappoint you."

The Inner Beauty of the Song

Jerry J. Grillo | Milwaukee. WI, USA | 06/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have collected Lynne Arriale recordings since her very first.
The most striking element of Lynne's interpretations is the strength of the melody. She never loses sight of the original melodic content of the composer. I consider her ballads to be unequaled in their ability to draw you in and capture the essence of the song. She and Bill Evans-----the tops. Her drummer Steve Davis is so creative and sensitive, you could swear he is reading her mind as they play together. It doesn't get much better than this. I was very fortunate to record a vocal CD with Lynne and her trio in 1997. It is obviously one of the greatest highlights of my music career. I could hardly believe what I was hearing, and I was actually blessed with being able to sing with her in the same room. I am very proud of that recording. It's "Goody For You"---1997."