Dig Deep
SSC4008 2008-05-20
Track List
In Transit - 5:36
Wide Awake - 7:21
Three Minute Mile - 4:50
Summertime - 5:13
Sunday Afternoon - 5:24
Out On Top - 5:13
New Song - 4:52
Heavy - 5:01
Rhymes - 3:34
Musicians
Laszlo Gardony - piano
John Lockwood - acoustic bass
Yoron Israel - drums
Dig Dip is made of original tunes and one standard, Summertime, the latter rendered with Gardony's subtle yet signature reharmonizations and melodic embellishments. The pianist's chops are flawless, making his complex rhythmic permutations and fleet lyricism sound effortless and off-the-cuff. Never overplaying, Gardony offers up short and succinctly constructed solos that serve the tunes. Drummer Yoron Israel is the consummate accompanist, generously supporting the pianist with an understated eloquence that, ironically, makes it easy to understand why he may be one of the most underrated drummers in the biz. John Lockwood, on bass, also more with less.
Reviews
Pianist Laszlo Gardony digs deep into his multi-versed jazz vernacular during this irrefutably, captivating 2008 release. With his trio of six years, the camaraderie and intuition quotient cannot be undermined yet should be anticipated given the personnel involved. Here, the pianist jubilantly integrates funk, gospel, rock, soul and world music into the classic jazz, piano-trio format. However, the overriding force pertains to the leader�s strikingly memorable compositions. On the opening piece titled �In Transit,� Gardony elicits shades of Horace Silver, thanks to a catchy hook riding atop a perky bump and grind vamp. On a side note, it took me awhile to get past this track and move on, as I found myself tapping my CD player�s repeat button more often than not. But the goodness continues as the musicians morph a forward-moving line of attack into a few genre-hopping movements, often shaded with memorably melodic choruses and the ever-present groove that shines throughout. Gardony�s muse is unpretentious yet artistic by design. He flexes quite a bit of muscle on the eighty-eights while also serving as the traffic cop. And check out �Out on Top,� which sparks remembrances of New Orleans piano legend Professor Longhair, to coincide with the group�s buoyant shuffle vamp, all counterbalanced by the pianist�s imaginative phrasings and fluid chord clusters. Sure enough, it�s an all-encompassing musical statement that beckons repeated listens. Don�t let this gem pass you by�Glenn Astarita - EJazzNews June 2008
