French jazz pianist Martial Solal's American recording debut took place at the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival, with his set recorded and initially released by RCA Victor, though it was deemed too short for release, so a few numbers recorded during his afternoon rehearsal were added to lengthen the album, with applause duplicated from other numbers. Joined by Bill Evans' former rhythm section, bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Paul Motian (who also made up his trio during an extended gig at New York City's Hickory House prior to ...
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French jazz pianist Martial Solal's American recording debut took place at the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival, with his set recorded and initially released by RCA Victor, though it was deemed too short for release, so a few numbers recorded during his afternoon rehearsal were added to lengthen the album, with applause duplicated from other numbers. Joined by Bill Evans' former rhythm section, bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Paul Motian (who also made up his trio during an extended gig at New York City's Hickory House prior to Newport), Solal blends Art Tatum-like runs with an inherent lyrical side in a decidedly advanced bop setting. In addition to his enjoyable arrangements of standards and timeless jazz compositions, his extended work "Suite Pour Une Frise" also merits praise. In spite of a CD reissue by Cloud 9 in 2004, this is still a rather difficult release to acquire. ~ Ken Dryden, Rovi
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