Kenny Werner Trio: Animal Crackers
Author: Brian Priestley
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Musicians: |
Kenny Werner (solo p) |
Label: |
Pirouet |
Magazine Review Date: |
April/2018 |
Catalogue Number: |
PIT3099 |
RecordDate: |
9-10 May 2016 |
So the Pirouet label resurfaces after time out, flying home on the wings of one of their favourite pianists. This is an absorbing recital, and probably one of the most varied that Werner has created during his several decades in the performing and educational spotlight. For a start, it has an intriguing mix of standards and originals (the title-track having nothing to do with either the recent movie, the old Marx Brothers one or even Shirley Temple, you'll be relieved to hear). As well as the titular cut, Werner's contributions include three other pieces, often employing motivic development, and there are two jointly-credited collective improvisations which go by the evocative names of ‘Breathing Torso’ and ‘Mechanical Arm’. Many of the techniques used here carry over into the treatments, very different from each other, of three old favourites, ‘The Song Is You’, ‘I Should Care’ and ‘If I Should Lose You’. Weidenmueller and Hoenig are highly responsive at all times, but Werner is responsible for much of the energy and invention on display here.
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