Published on Feb 10, 2002
As much as I am getting to love jazz, sometimes I have to be in
just the right mood for it. In the case of pianist Bill Anschell,
he must think I have forgotten about him, since I’ve been sitting
on his latest disc
When Cooler Heads Prevail for about four months.
The truth is, I’ve listened to parts of this disc on and off all
through this time – and it wasn’t until I started to develop a
healthy appetite and respect for Bill Evans that I was able to
fully grasp what Anschell has set out to accomplish on this, his
third disc as a leader. Although I’m probably over-simplifying it,
Anschell comes off in this trio setting as a composer trying to
merge the worlds of Evans and Vince Guaraldi – that is, taking the
free-form challenge of jazz and trying to bring it to the
masses.
Does Anschell succeed? At times, yes – though there are moments
when this disc is not the most easily approachable.
The times I found I absolutely loved what I was hearing was when
Anschell and his bandmates – drummer/percussionist Woody Williams
and bassists Neil Starkey and Rodney Jordan (who share the duties
throughout this disc) – threw control to the wind and allowed
themselves to just let the music take them where it wanted. On
tracks such as “Dear Old Stockholm” and “If It Isn’t One Thing…”,
these talented musicians produce some of the liveliest jazz I’ve
heard in a while, with the controlled abandon of Williams’s drum
work and Jordan’s thundering bass lines, all encased by Anschell’s
keyboard lines that sound like they could have just as easily been
a saxophone solo. I don’t know if I’m accurately putting into words
how wonderful this kind of collaboration is; honestly, it’s
something the listener has to experience themselves to
understand.
Yet there are times when a more controlled environment offers
proof that this kind of musical abandon can be felt in any style.
The opening track “Sweet And Lovely” has a more structured rhythm
track, allowing Anschell to turn on the taps with his piano
playing, as it were. It works just as well, and it’s hard to
believe that seven minutes passes so quickly. Likewise, the album’s
closer “Angels Watching Over Me” (which follows a powerful
spotlight performance from Williams on “Woody’s Turn,” a drum solo
that never gets gaudy) seems like it’s the perfect choice to wrap
things up.
Regrettably, not everything on
When Cooler Heads Prevail is as approachable. “Undercurrent
Event” tries valiantly to demonstrate that jazz does not need a
proper drum kit to exude passion, but with Williams focusing on the
percussion aspect of his craft, something is lost in the final
translation of this song. Likewise, “Little Niles” takes far too
long to get to the heart of the song – and the near-fadeout leading
to Jordan’s bass work throws the listener into a brief state of
confusion. I understand that jazz is not supposed to cater to the
lowest common denominator, and Anschell does work hard at making
sure that even someone who isn’t properly schooled in jazz can pick
this disc up and find something to enjoy on it. But these rare
moments sometimes feel like they could be enough to keep some
listeners a bit frightened about entering a new musical genre.
Still, Anschell does seem to succeed, even when the final result
isn’t as “listener-friendly” as one might have hoped for.
When Cooler Heads Prevail does often demonstrate the power
of the jazz trio, and Anschell’s ability to work with the ghosts of
two jazz masters to come up with a sound that is all his own.
Although those who are a little more familiar with jazz will derive
the most pleasure from these 10 songs, even a newcomer to jazz will
undoubtedly find something they’ll like on this disc.