Suite for Jazz Piano
Glenn Meade/Stuart Leitch, Piano
1. Entrance Ramp (4:56)
2. Open Road (3:57)
3. Down Shift (3:46)
4. Hammer Lane (4:58)
5. Night Drive (3:29)
6. Top Down (5:43)
7. Sunday Driver (5:37)
8. Making Time (4:44)
9. Rush Hour (5:07)
Copyright 1998 Glenn Meade
CD $12.00
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Glenn Meade's 1998 release, "Open Road", is somewhat of a departure from his previous albums. He continues to write music that definitely has his signature deeply imbedded, but on this CD, he stepped back from the performer's seat and is admirably replaced by pianist Stuart Leitch in a solo setting.
The full title of the album is "Open Road Suite for Jazz Piano". But the first cut, "Entrance Ramp", immediately illustrates that this is not your typical jazz. It is neither traditional straight-ahead jazz, nor is it today's "smooth" jazz. In fact, it borders closely along classical solo piano lines. I'd call it Sergei Prokofiev meets Jazz. For those familiar with Meade's prior works, his footprints are very noticeable starting with "Entrance Ramp" and culminating in the last cut, "Rush Hour". The latter is a masterpiece finale to a very interesting collection of nine tunes, all having titles based on the album's "Open Road".
The title cut, which appears second, pulls a little closer to what you might typically consider to be jazz, and it is a good example of the excellent articulation that Leitch brings to the keyboard. Then "Down Shift" shows off a great mixture of a more typical jazz melody combined with an atypical set of harmonies. It is an awesome collaboration between the songwriter and the performer, in contrast to Meade's work up to this point, where he had direct control over all the music.
"Night Drive", as can be guessed from the title, is a very illustrative piece, containing some gorgeous harmonies. "Sunday Driver" is another gorgeous tune on which Leitch gives a very expressive performance. This piece has strains that are the closest to more traditional jazz, with a definite Gershwin flavor, at least for the first two minutes. Then Meade's touch takes over. There are several ebbs and flows to this collection, and each turn delights the listener.
Chalk up another winner for Glenn Meade, with an important assist from Stuart Leitch. Whether you like jazz or classical music, the solo piano work should be well worth your journey.
Brad Biondo, Reviews