Review: Bill Charlap Trio at Dazzle Denver

The Bill Charlap Trio performed at Dazzle for two sets each evening on Saturday, August 3rd, and Sunday, August 4th. I caught the first set on Sunday at 7 p.m.

The trio can trace its beginning to a late December 1997 recording date for Criss Cross Records titled “All Through the Night.” Pianist Bill Charlap scheduled the date with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. While the musicians had never worked with each other in a trio setting before, they realized they had something special very early on during the session.  25 years later they’re still performing and recording together.

Befitting the music, the trio was dressed in suits and ties. Bill’s heavy looking suit might have been more at home for a cold night in New York City, Peter Washington was dressed in a white suit more appropriate for Denver’s 90-degree-plus heat and Kenny Washington’s non-descript suit looked like standard musician attire.

The set opened with Cole Porter’s “Dream Dancing.” It began with a rubato chorus by Bill before settling into a nice medium tempo. Bassist Peter Washington had the first solo, and the tune concluded with Bill and drummer Kenny Washington trading eights for a couple of choruses and Bill working in a musical quotation from Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite”.

Next up was another Cole Porter song, “In the Still of the Night”.  After starting the tune at a stately tempo, it shifted into high gear at breakneck speed. Bill’s command of the keyboard is shown through a masterful solo faultlessly interweaving speed and musicality. Kenny Washington used brushes for his solo before making way for Peter Washington’s bass solo.  Bill added one last musical effect by modulating the tune from F Major to D Major on the final chord.

To slow things down, the set continued with the ballad “Detour Ahead” written by Herb Ellis, Johnny Frigo, and Lou Carter.

Up next was “April in Paris” with music written by Vernon Duke and the lyrics by Yip Harburg. Bill told the audience that the inspiration for Harburg’s lyrics was a Paris travel brochure. The trio played it in a light swing tempo reminiscent of the 1955 recording by the Count Basie Orchestra including the “One More Once” coda. Kenny used brushes once again for his drum solo.

Then it was time for yet another Vernon Duke tune, “Not a Care in the World” (lyrics by John La Touche) with solos from Bill and Peter.

After a brief solo by Bill of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein song “The Last Time I Saw Paris”, the trio segued into Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady.”  Bill alluded to John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” as the song ended. After its conclusion, Bill told the audience that had there been no Jerome Kern, there likely would have been no Duke Ellington. He also recounted that George Gershwin told Ellington that he wished he had written the bridge for “Sophisticated Lady,” something Ellington was quite proud of.

Next up was Thelonious Monk’s “Criss Cross.” Once it was over, Bill added “No Ellington, no Monk.”

Another Jerome Kern tune followed, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” Bill made it clear he is of the opinion that Kern is the most significant songwriter in US history.

The set continued with John Lewis’ “Milestones,” George & Ira Gershwin’s “Who Cares” before closing with “Tiny’s Tempo,” a blues by pianist Clyde Hart and Lloyd “Tiny” Grimes.

After a standing ovation from the crowd, the trio left the stage with only Bill returning before playing a medley of Harold Arlen’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and George Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me.” The set was over and done in 80 minutes.

This was the first time the trio had performed in Denver since January 2017. Let’s hope it’s not that long before their next visit.

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