Bespoke Man's Narrative, The

AARON DIEHL: The Bespoke Man’s Narrative
Mack Avenue, 2013

CLASSIC JAZZ – Stylish elegance is the name of the game here, with a configuration and approach that owe a lot to the old Modern Jazz Quartet: piano, vibraphone, bass, drums in a thoroughly bop-oriented and high-class approach. The band is so confident, so spot-on and comfortable and timeless that it’s kind of a shock to realize how young they are (Diehl is 26). They really do sound like old masters. Fine stuff.

Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

1. 1:59 – a classy, uptown theme; lovely piano/vibe mix… fades out
2. 6:55 – ritzy intro, but then it cooks: mostly driving bop for vibes, piano solos
3. 7:44 – pensive, soulful tune with nice ensemble sound & some tasty drums
4. 7:03 – standard dances oh-so lightly; bass & drums have lots to do here
5. 6:39 – Ellington ballad, slow & very tender: mostly piano, just a hint of bass
6. 5:35 – sly, good-natured little swinger, nice piano/vibes interplay
7. 5:41 – speedy current slips in and out of a cute strut; fine fast piano work!
8. 10:55 – trio: classical (Ravel) piece reimagined: piano flies high above lightly dancing rhythm
9. 8:20 – standard: melodramatic intro settles into a nice ballad, modernist end
10. 3:04 – fade in, picks up where #1 left off: relaxed sashay builds to big end

[ Fo ] - 12 May 2013