Billy Hart is a musician's musician. His compositions come from a place of deep heart, yet he manages to encapsulate the athleticism of rhythm just as naturally as if he were pumping his own blood through every nuance, which, in fact, he is. "Lullaby for Imke" is divine.
Billy Hart does not have a huge discography but his recordings are uniformly impressive. There's no clutter here, no stepping on toes, just intelligent and imaginative explorations that are far beyond the mundane. Pianist Ethan Iverson (Bad Plus), saxophonist Mark Turner, and bassist Ben Street are equals in the creative process. Iverson's solos are often surprising while Turner continues to show why he's such a singular voice on his instrument. Pay attention to how Hart well listens and leads. This unit should definitely be seen in person but this recording deserves your full attention.
A selection of the standout tracks from the best new releases in jazz on eMusic. From the oldest school to the newest thing, torch songs to Cubop, this first edition takes an open-minded but semi-purist (no "smooth jazz" thank you) approach to the most notable jazz releases from the first half of 2011. Yes, stylistically it is all over the map: That's why jazz is known as "the sound of surprise." more »
