Look Stop And Listen

Eagerly awaited followup to Chris' first Evening Star CD, FROM THE GREENHOUSE, this exciting album features Chris with James Cammack (bass) and Dave Bowler (drums) of Ahmad Jamal's rhythm section in a trio setting and with several piano/bass duets and a piano solo. CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LOOK, STOP, AND LISTEN: 'I think this recording truly demonstrates the full range of talents of this exceptional pianist' -- Benny Carter There comes a time with many jazz musicians when they have raised the level of their playing to such a degree that they make the transition from 'player' to 'artist.' Pianist Chris Neville is one who has made that transition, as is demonstrated by this superb new release. Neville's playing is such that his solos are like stories, complete with an introduction, a powerful climax and complete end, where the lines build and grow exponentially and where the phrasing is very compositional in nature. On this mostly trio CD, with the equally-superb rhythm tandem of James Cammack on bass and Dave Bowler on drums, Neville essays nine standards and three originals with thoughtful artistry. From the opening Look, Stop & Listen' by Tadd Dameron to the closing solo piano rendition of Thelonious Monk's 'Blue Monk,' Neville gets inside each tune, almost creating new compositions out of the existing material. He displays his romantic side on Benny Carter's 'You, Only You,' gives an elegant duo rendition of Ellington's 'Just Squeeze Me' with bassist Cammack, gets funky on the pleasantly reinterpreted version of 'Imagination,' and lays down some mean, swinging blues lines on 'Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You.' On the trio selections, Cammack and Bowler play with sensitivity and swing, much as they did in Ahmad Jamal's trio. Both solo effectively and superbly. But, this is clearly Chris Neville's ride. And he makes the most of it. His closing solo rendition of 'Blue Monk' exhibits all of Neville's abilities beautifully, creating a work that is the essence of what Monk was all about. And the same can be said for this recording, which is Chris Neville's watershed moment. May there be many more. -- Alan Chase, Portsmouth, NH Herald.