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Bill Mays - Live at the Standard |
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by Rick Holland
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 LIve at the Standard | | Personnel:Bill Mays-Piano:Matt Wilson, Drums: Martin Wind, Bass. | | Tracks:Have You Met Miss Jones?; Squeeze Me; How Are Things in Glocca Morra?; Darn That Dream; Music House; Let’s Call This; Euterpe; Willow Weep for Me; When Will the Blues Leave?; Smile.
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Bill Mays
Live at the Standard
Palmetto Records has sent JR247 another gem in Bill Mays Live at the Standard. Bill Mays has built a career accompanying great vocalists like Helen Merrill, Sarah Vaughn, Peggy Lee and Shelia Jordan. His trio with Matt Wilson and Martin Wind has been together for over 6 years. Their chemistry is wonderful, creative and in possession of quality sound throughout!
If you love piano trio interpretations of great standards, Mays delivers several great performances on standard tunes. What I like about these performances are the great phrasing, wonderful addiction to melodic playing and a real nice group dynamic. I’m not sure if anyone listens any harder that Matt Wilson. He delivers the perfect timbre and if you listen he changes up accents and makes them sound conventional. He’s especially effective with these creative interpretations on Monk’s Let’s Call This.
I really dug Martin Wind’s sound on the opening of How Are thing’s in Glocca Mora? He displays wonderful bow work, with gorgeous tone. The duet with Mays is capturing to the listener. When the trio finally enters together, they display outstanding ensemble and sound.
Mays is an outstanding composer. Music House and Euterpe are great vehicles to play and perform on. Music House displays more adventurous dynamics and cross styles, from shuffle to creative dissonances. Wilson has some nice improvisational moments here. I love his melodic phrasing and interplay with Mays. On Euterpe, Mays displays another side. This straight 1/8th note ballad draws wonderful color from the trio. Mays shows great touch and creative interpretation.
What I love about Mays is his complete musical maturity. You’ll hear references from Bill Evans to Thelonius Monk on this disc. But, he’s developed his own personal style. It’s elegant, thoughtful and at times on the edges of creativity. He and his group are an intelligent group that would be fun to listen to “live”. They display great musical contrasts with fine musical interpretations.
I highly recommend this disc. I’m going back for repeated listens. It contains the values in recordings that will make it successful, which is producing music that people can attain to and at the same time challenge some of their sensibilities. It has a cool and creative vibe by three musicians who are in tune with their musical goal and outcome.
For more information about the music of Bill Mays, please visit:
www.billmays.com
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Rick Holland |
| About the author: |
| A versatile musician and veteran performer in organizations such as the Louie Bellson Big Band (Chicago Based Band), Jimmy Dorsey, Mike Pendowski, Rob Parton , Buddy De Franco, Buselli-Wallrab and Terry Gibbs Bands, Rick Holland brings a wealth of experience and musicality to each performance. |
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