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SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR, June, 2007
Shep Meyers--"Solo Thoughts"
by Craig Yerkes
Jazz is a bit like live theater in
that one of the most exciting aspects of the art form is the
interaction among players. Hence, solo jazz reminds me a bit like
one-man theater. If the one doing all of the work isn't able to
bring enough to the party, it's gonna be one long, boring party.
Solo Thoughts, the latest one-man/one-piano offering from Shep
Meyers, easily manages to pull off the very difficult task of
keeping the music exciting and very enjoyable in an ultra
challenging format.
One of the hardest things about the
one-man jazz band thing is keeping time and making it all sound
fluid. Shep Meyers either has one hell of an internal metronome or
else he has a mini Max Roach sitting on his shoulder. This music is
dead on, rhythmically, swinging hard when it needs to and
effortlessly pushing and pulling the tempos when called for. Only
the masters can do it like this. The approach that Mr. Meyers takes
on this recording reminds me of a slightly more restrained version
of Teddy Wilson with some reminders of early Thelonious Monk. The
selection of material and the way the tracks are placed is amazingly
effective, incorporating wonderful standards and one very nice
original composition. 'You Go to My Head' was the perfect choice for
track one because if offers up what I feel is the most complete
picture of the artistry Meyers is able to bring to these classic
tunes. The melody and chord structure are kept pleasingly intact,
yet the improvisational, personalized touches are expertly applied
in ways that will keep you interested in what comes next. The solo
section on this opening track is like a master class in jazz
improvisation in the way that the artist seamlessly merges his ultra
melodic approach with some higher octane bop and blues runs. While
the entire discs truly shines, 'I'm Getting Sentimental Over You'
and 'You Stepped Out of a Dream' are the other tracks that really
had me on the edge of my musical seat with their cool and beautiful
twists (stellar solos on both). Even the oft-covered, ubiquitous
'Autumn Leaves' is done in a way that makes it sound fresh.
Billy Strayhorn's touching and
haunting swan song 'Blood Count' is a brilliant choice for the
closer. This last track had me picturing Mr. Meyers sitting in a
lonely bar, playing this beautiful music at closing time, pouring
out his heart and soul to the last few patrons. The life of a jazz
musician is never lonelier than when the artist has to go it alone,
but Meyers embraces the solitude with heart, confidence, and gusto.
Solo Thoughts leaves you with a feeling that you've just been
treated to a wonderful expression of the artists' individuality,
blended deliciously with the musical etchings left on his soul by
all of the cats the man has ever shared a stage with.
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PORTLAND JAZZ SCENE, May, 2007 by
George Fendel.
Solo Thoughts, Shep Meyers, piano.
One of the most satisfying
experiences in jazz is to put on a solo piano disc by someone who
can pull off the task. You see, there’s nowhere to hide when you go
it alone. Either you’ve got the chops or you don’t. Shep Meyers is a
San Diego pianist who more than gets the job done on such winners as
You Go To My Head, Have You Met Miss Jones, I Thought About You,
Skylark, There’s A Small Hotel, and even Billy Strayhorn’s stunning
Blood Count. A dozen more winners complete a beautiful, recital-like
performance.
4 Stars.
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L.A.
JAZZ SCENE, April,
2007 by Bob Agnew
Shep Meyers has been living in San
Diego for some thirty years now, but he is a graduate of the New
York scene. In his earlier days there, he was an arranger for the
Radio City Music Hall Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. He also
composed, arranged and conducted the music for over 500 radio and
television commercials. During his career he has played with a raft
of jazz greats ranging from Coleman Hawkins, Gary Foster, Art
Pepper, Sal Nistico, Conte Candoli, Bob Magnusson, Charlie
Haden--the list goes on.
After all of this time, Meyers
thought it might be interesting to do a solo piano album of some of
his favorite songs. He wanted nothing complicated--just him and the
recording engineer, Charlie Weller. He told Weller, “Just get a good
sound and keep it rolling. No earphones, no slating the tunes, no
punch-in edits or ten takes on every tune to assure a ‘perfectly
sanitized product.’ Just do it the same way as if I were playing in
my living room.”
He picked the tunes that came to mind
as he sat at the piano.
Shep Meyers, Solo Thoughts, Jazz
Piano is the result. It features sixteen marvelous songs including
“You Go To My Head”, “Sunshine Morning” (his composition), “Have You
Met Miss Jones?, “The Very Thought of You” (a song to which he and
his wife had their first dance together), “You Stepped Out of a
Dream” and “Blood Count”. These and several other songs,
spontaneously programmed as it were, created a class act. Meyers’
crisp, facile artistry at the piano produced a recording you will
enjoy time and again.
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eJazznews.com---Tuesday, January 30,
2007
CD Reviews: Shep Meyers..Solo
Thoughts
By John Gilbert
Shep Meyers has chosen his tunes
wisely and he performs them with style and finesse. From "Have You
Met Miss Jones" which he swings nicely, to the haunting Strayhorn
piece "Blood Count" Meyers takes command of his instrument and pays
tribute to the composers with due deference to their intent.
Stylistically Meyers runs the gamut from a hint of stride to a
(melodic) manner befitting an intimate club scene as he plumbs the
depths of these beautiful standards.
"Small Hotel" is a tune that is not
often heard these days and Shep Meyers drains the bottom out of
every note. "Skylark" is a composition that has some of the
best lyrics ever written and even sans words this piece has a melody
that speaks volumes and Shep Meyers exhibits some introspection and
ideation that Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer would be delighted
with. Meyers' solo interpretations are first class and well
worth the price of admission, as it were.
5 Stars
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CD Title: Cornerstone
Year: 2001
Record Label: Proxy Music
Style: BeBop / Hard Bop
Musicians: Shep Meyers (p), Jay Migliori (ts), Dave Curtis (b),
Danny Campbell (d)
Review: The
purity of jazz is the essence of this impressive recording. Shep Meyers
has assembled a quartet of imposing talent with fresh arrangements done in
a stylish bop mode.
Meyers has an interesting solo style, his right to the point message is
not cluttered with a whole lot of fuss. He gets to the heart of the
matter, greases up the skillet, turns on the burners and simply cooks.
Jay Migliori's shining star lives on in this album. On Ellington's "Main
Stem" his tone is as clear as moonshine and just as potent. Some brisk
unison with the Piano and Tenor opens this tune followed by a fiery Sax
solo that will orbit in the listener’s ear for many a moon. Let it be said
that Jay Migliori on this tune is the epitome of swing. It gets no better
than this. Shep Meyers' solo was filled with original ideas and his comping was artistically flawless. Bassist Dave Curtis' rapid fire solo
really got my attention, this was not what one usually expects from this
instrument, it was simply breathtaking in its presentation. The torrent of
notes were coherent not just mindless flurries. I would like to hear more
of this talented artist.
The soulful side of Migliori and Meyers was nicely showcased on "Lament"
.. A tender piano intro followed by Migliori's somewhat dark musings
captured the intent of J.J. Johnson's theme of lament.
"Skylark" has a lovely melody and Jay Migliori pays homage to it in a most
respectful way. Meyers' skillfully catches the mood set by the Tenor. This
tune was beautifully performed by all.
There is a lot of meat and potatoes in "Walkin" featuring a clever Monkish
solo by Shep Meyers, who incorporates his own distinctive discourse into
the Monk spirit he engenders (on this piece). Jay Migliori's bluesy side
is again exhibited as he goes right to the heart of hip. A nice walking
Bass and fine Drum work by Danny Campbell are the final ingredients that
get this tune off the ground and into the stratosphere.
Tracks: Monk's Dream, Beautiful Love, Main Stem, Lament,
Yesterdays, Evidence, Skylark, Stella By Starlight, Walkin'
This recording is a superb example of mainstream jazz at its very best. It
is from a limited collection and can be purchased by visiting Shep's
website.
Click here to order.
Reviewed by:
John Gilbert |
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CD Title:
Originals
Year: 2002
Record Label: Shep Meyers Music
Style: Contemporary Jazz
Musicians: Shep Meyers (p), Jay Migliori (ts), Rob Thorsen (b), Bob
Weller (d), Tommy Aros ( percussion)
Review:
This recording features
six original tunes by Shep Meyers and one addition by the late Pianist
Richard Twardzik, who incidentally, was greatly admired by Charlie Parker,
Twardzik's composition "Yellow Tango" has a superb melody, a dynamic Tenor
solo by Jay Migliori (who has also sadly passed on). The Bass of Rob
Thorsen is strong in accompaniment and equally as robust in his solo. A
sensitive Piano offering by Meyers is the coup de maitre of a very fine
intellectual creation.
"Love Match" has a thought provoking message with a sense of sadness that
is prevalent in the theme. One feels that there is a underlying artistic
discourse which the author (Meyers) lays out beautifully in his keyboard
reflections and musical monologue. Thorsen's warm Bass weaves a soulful
story and Migliori, as always, lends his magic to this exquisite song.
Tracks: Angeline, Tune For Benjy, The Desert, Yellow Tango, Love
Match, Lady Fay, Sea Dance
This
is a lovely album to add to any collection and can be purchased by
contacting the artist's website signatured on this review.
Click here to order.
Reviewed by:
John Gilbert
Explosion!
Sam Trippe and
His Jazz Orchestra | Americatone
This
reissue on Americatone by Sam Trippe's orchestra was recorded more than
forty years ago, shortly before Trippe and his wife, Dorothy, were killed
in an auto accident, which accounts for its LP-like 30:40 playing time.
Trippe's ensemble was modeled closely on that of Woody Herman - not a bad
model at all - and Sam was convinced he had one of the world's greatest
big bands. While that's hard to affirm - as Art Blakey once said, it's
impossible to measure talent - he had a very good one, led by tenor Jay
Migliori and anchored by drummer Chiz Harris, and Explosion! is an
appropriate name for its only record date. The band explodes from the
starting gate on "Dress Blues" and scarcely pauses for breath until
crossing the finish line with a buoyant reading of "It's a Wonderful
World." Migliori's wailing tenor, reminiscent of Al Cohn (and, on "How
High the Moon," of Gene Ammons on Woody's "More Moon"), is heard most
often, with other respectable solos by pianist Shep Meyers and trumpeters
Don Cinquemani, Bob Mitchell and Diz Mullins. Baritone saxophonist Gil
Sciaqua is listed as a soloist on "Wonderful World," but the only sax solo
is a tenor, and it sounds like Migliori. There's one ballad, "You Go to My
Head," whose featured trumpet is unlisted, as are the trombone and trumpet
solos on "Ride Around the Block" and the trombone on "Wonderful World,"
among others. These are by no means the only flaws in a cheesy-looking
product whose slipshod graphics and useless liner notes look as though
they'd been copied in a hurry on someone's cheap mimeograph machine. While
the inner pages of its four-page booklet are devoted for the most part to
a listing of personnel, only bass trombonist Bill Smiley's name appears as
a member of that section, and surely there must have been more saxophones
than those of Migliori, Sciaqua and alto Al Willet. A single-page overlay
includes the word "new," which is technically correct, as the album is new
to Americatone, although it was recorded, as we said, more than forty
years ago. These flaws, however, have nothing to do with the music, which
is consistently first-rate (all 30:40 of it), and we can recommend the
album in spite of them.
Jack Bowers
Track Listing: Dress Blues; Grumpy; Bella's Back in Town; Larry
Finley's Stomp; You Go to My Head; Ride Around the Block; How High the
Moon; It's a Wonderful World (30:40).
Personnel: Sam Trippe, leader; Don Cinquemani, Bob Mitchell, Diz
Mullins, Roy Catos, trumpet; Al Willet, alto sax; Jay Migliori, tenor sax;
Gil Sciaqua, baritone sax; Bill Smiley, bass trombone; Shep Meyers, piano;
Francis James, bass; Chiz Harris, drums. Other personnel unlisted.
Americatone.com/CDlist.html
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