Bill Charlap At Kerrytown Concert House

BY LARS BJRON

Up-and-coming pianist Bill Charlap played two solo sets on December 10 at Ann Arbor's Kerrytown Concert House. Solo engagements are fairly unusual for him and it seemed he found the KCH with its Steinway a perfect setting. Charlap usually plays in a trio and his latest CD, Somewhere (featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein), was just nominated for a Grammy in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category.

I was able to attend the second set, which was very well attended, but not as full as the first one. I guess most people don't think the way I do — that most jazz musicians sound better after half-time. Charlap's repertoire was carefully chosen and he often introduced tunes with some background on the songwriter. He mixed Tin Pan Alley with pieces by jazz musicians, and on Gershwin's "Somebody Loves Me" he played three radically different interpretations: the composer's, a concert etude version in the style of Earl Wilde, and finally one a la Bill Charlap (influenced by Bud Powell and Gerry Mulligan). This piece alone demonstrated Charlap's stylistic range and curiosity about issues of musical interpretation. It also showed that he is most comfortable in the tradition of bebop piano playing, where he is carving out his own niche. His touch can be as delicate as Tommy Flanagan's, but he is also fond of more forceful statements. Sometimes he juxtaposes flowing melodic lines with mildly dissonant chords.

Charlap has a way with ballads that brings out his sophisticated sense of melody and dynamics. Bernstein's "Lucky to Be Me" went from elegant melodic lines to powerfully chorded passages. "A Ballad" (Mulligan) was a brief but extremely tender statement of the theme. I was most impressed with his treatment of "Embraceable You," where his first chorus from Charlie Parker's classic Dial recording brought out the majesty of Parker's version and his second gave us his own crystal clear, carefully articulated version, which was just as bluesy as the master's. Charlap is also adept at playful and witty treatments of standards like "The Lady Is A Tramp" and "The Way You Look Tonight." On the latter he showed his mastery of rapid stride style. Similarly, on John Carisi's "Israel" he moved effortlessly from bop to boogie. This was one of the best piano concerts in recent memory, and I have an inkling that Charlap will be back.

photograph by Lars Bjorn

I N - T H I S - I S S U E :
1. ROY BROOKS TRIBUTE ---2. MARVIN KAHN
3. FRANK ISOLA ---4. KIRK LIGHTSEY
5. BILL CHARLAP
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