One of the most promising pianists to emerge on the
English jazz
scene during the second half of the 20th century is
David Newton
, though he has yet to make a name for himself in the U.S. due to the erratic distribution of his recordings, all of which have been for English labels. These 1994 studio sessions for
Candid
include bassist
Dave Green
and drummer
Allan Ganley
. The brisk
waltz
setting of
Rodgers & Hart
's
"My Romance"
is immediately followed by a captivating treatment of their
"There's a Small Hotel,"
with a particularly haunting solo performance by the leader.
Newton
's compositions are also delightful, starting off with the playful
post-bop
"Get Lost"
and the gorgeous pastoral ballad
"Blessed Land."
Ganley
contributed the easygoing
bossa nova
"June Time,"
while
Green
and
jointly created their tasty duo
blues
with
"Sugar Cake."
The addition of a synthesizer proves distracting in
"Older and Wiser,"
though all is well with his
hard bop
finale
"When Will I See You?"
If you haven't yet discovered
, this CD is a great place to start. ~ Ken Dryden