Eddie Higgins - Portrait In Black And White (2LP, Edition Japonaise)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Piano - Eddie Higgins [click here to see more vinyl featuring Eddie Higgins]
Bass - Don Wilner
Drums - James Martin
Written by Bernice Petkere (A1), Joe Young (A1), Fritz Kreisler (A2), Betty Comden (B1), J. Green (B1), Jule Styne (B1), Johann Sebastian Bach (B2), Frederick Edward Weatherly (B3), Betty Comden (C1), Adolph Green (C1), Jule Styne (C1), Cole Porter (C2), Sergey Rachmaninov (C3), Gabriel Fauré (D1), Luíz Eça (D2), Antônio Carlos Jobim (D2), Chico Buarque (D3), Antônio Carlos Jobim (D3)
2 LP, Gatefold jacket
Limited edition
Original Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Venus Hyper Magnum Sound Direct Mix Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Japanese Pressing
Label : Venus
Original Label : Venus
Recorded at New River Studio, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 25 & 26, 1996
Engineered by A.T. Michael MacDonald
Mixed & Mastered by Tetsuo Hara
Executive-Producer - Francois Zalacain
Design by Chris Drukker
Originally released in 1996
Reissued in 2024
Tracks :
Side A:
1. Lullaby Of The Leaves
2. Liebeslied
Side B:
1. Dance Only With Me
2. Siciliano
3. Danny Boy
Side C:
1. Just In Time
2. What Is This Thing Called Love
3. Vocalise
Side D:
1. Pavane
2. The Dolphin / Someone To Light Up My Life
3. Retrato Em Branco E Preto
Reviews:
"Eddie Higgins is a quiet musician. His playing is never flamboyant and never exceeds the boundaries of good taste. The music coming out of his piano is reflective, exuding a feeling of relaxation, contemplation, and intimate beauty. This is not to say that his playing is so spare as to lack emotion. It's there, not thrown in the face of the listener. Like the playing, the listener must be attentive. This pianistic attitude is the artistic basis for his third album for the Sunnyside label. Filled with songs that are a steady part of the Higgins repertoire, the play list has representatives from the book of classic popular standards, Brazilian, and short classical pieces. That this serious stuff is seen by the fact that bass player Don Wilner spends a significant amount of time using the bow. This creates a chamber jazz atmosphere on such tunes as "Danny Boy." Wilner's importance to this session is set right at the outset with his sparkling plucked solo on "Lullaby of the Leaves." An album highlight is a rapturous Higgins piano on a lightly Brazilian rhythm medley of "The Dolphin" and "Someone to Light up My Life." Even on this tempo, Higgins does not go overboard with a heavy percussive presence assuring that the melody, not the rhythm, stays in the limelight. Higgins accompanies his wife, singer Meredith D'Ambrosio. Thus he is familiar with the lyrics which gives him a much better feel for the meaning of the music. His right hand on "What Is This Thing Called Love" is akin to a singer's scatting on this up-tempo arrangement. For creative subtlety applied to an agenda of interesting music, this album will be a smart addition to any jazz library. Recommended." AllMusic Review by Dave Nathan.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4 / 5 ; Discogs :4.4 / 5