Dave Miller Trio - The Mask-erade Is Over (CD)

Release Date: 07/02/21

Top-notch pianist sounds wonderful with his own classic style blended with shades of Shearing, Evans and Brubeck!

GENRE: JAZZ / Piano Jazz / Jazz Trio

COMPOSERS: Parker/Gillespie, Berlin, Madison, Evans, Coward, DePaul, Martino, Brubeck, Rodgers/Hart, Miller

Dave Miller, whether heard leading his own trio or interacting with his daughter, the talented jazz singer Rebecca DuMaine, is a top-notch pianist whose classic style recalls George Shearing, Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal, and Dave Brubeck but in his own voice. He takes concise solos that make every note count and get his swinging message across.

The enjoyable program begins with some classic bebop. 'Anthropology,' the Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker line on 'I Got Rhythm,' swings hard from the start and has two piano choruses that build up logically along with a heated tradeoff with drummer Belasco. Irving Berlin's 'Be Careful, It's My Heart' was a Bing Crosby hit in the 1930s. Dave enjoys Peggy Lee's version with George Shearing and there is a touch of the Shearing sound in his use of block chords.

'The Opener' is an obscure Bill Evans song that was recorded by the composer twice (in 1975 and 1977) but by very few others...Noel Coward's 'Someday I'll Find You' (from the 1930 play Private Lives) is also normally a slow and wistful ballad but this version really cooks, with Dave hinting at Dave Brubeck a little. 'In Your Own Sweet Way' is one of Dave Brubeck's most famous compositions and this melodic rendition reminds one of Brubeck's skills as a composer...The CD concludes with a remake of the title cut from Dave's previous trio set, 'Just Imagine.' After stating the melody, the trio turns this rendition into a happy romp, a contrast to their earlier mellower version. They sound quite celebratory during its final choruses.