It's the accordion of the Italian virtuoso Luciano Biondini that catapults pianist/composer Myriam Alter's third Enja effort, Cross/Ways, into the realm of sophisticated and heavily nostalgic emotion. Sure, Alter brings her own cross-cultural mix to the fore (her father's from Istanbul, her mother is from Greece). Netherlands clarinetist John Ruocco (an American ex-patriot) shines in his solos, as do Belgians Nic Thys and Michel Massot, on bass and tuba respectively. Dutch percussionist Landers Gyselinck and Italian pianist Michel Bisceglia also get their chops in.
The result is gorgeous. Stunning even. Think about it! Subtle interplay between accordion, clarinet and tuba with two pianos and a strong bass and drums rhythm section means colors that we haven't necessarily heard before in years, if ever, that make Cross/Ways one of the most unique jazz productions of the year. The fact that it works so well, the fact that the tuba man doubles on trombone and the fact that Alter is a consistently entertaining arranger, composer and soloist, makes for a seamless, exotic world-music jazz experience with flurrying solos amid a mid-eastern ambiance. (The snake-charmer hints are toned down but they're there.)
"I come from a Judeo-Spanish Belgium family," says Alter in a press release prepared by label Enja's North American distributor, Justin Time Records. "Once you add that to the background of these musicians, all those cultures meet in the music."
Recorded in Brussels and mastered in Munich, with all 11 tracks by Alter, it ends with a loving tribute to her pianistic mentor, Mal Waldron [1925-2002]. They met in Brussels and became good friends, which resulted in her studying under him and watching him perform on a weekly basis. Entitled "No Room To Laugh," it's the only solo piano track on the CD and serves as the perfect ending. This is jazz with a difference.
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