Trained in an intensive ten-year classical piano program at Moscow's Gnessins School, and after quietly making records for over two decades, Russian native Yelena Eckemoff has been transitioning to a form of hybrid, classically informed improvisation with some exceptional results. 2010's Cold Sun, a trio featuring the exquisite drumming of Peter Erskine, was a tremendous musical statement for a leader making an early foray into improvisation and a record that is well worth seeking out to this day.
With A Touch of Radiance, Eckemoff is expanding beyond her well-honed trio format into a quintet featuring some of New York's first-call jazz practitioners. The result is an album that leans more heavily on the lingua franca of jazz that any of her previous efforts, but that still retains significant classical influences in the piano playing and compositional structure.
Eckemoff's music has always been about melody and composition over self- indulgent flame throwing and bombast, and A Touch of Radiance follows in that same vein. The record is full of intricate pieces featuring improvisations that are well integrated into structured musical frameworks. One of Eckemoff's classically based devices is a sort of rolling circular motif below either her own improvisations, or in this case behind Joe Locke's vibes on "Reminiscence." In this instance, however, drummer Billy Hart changes the rhythm mid-stream to provide a more conventional jazz beat over which Eckemoff and then tenorist Mark Turner take their solos: a seamless transition and integration of musical traditions.
"Exuberance" opens with a piano vamp closely underwritten by bassist George Mraz before Turner enters with the melody. Eckemoff improvises a little on the vamp, both assembling the tune and deconstructing it just a little at the same time. Turner quickly breaks the melody into a lengthy solo, followed directly by Locke. Like other really good leaders, Eckemoff does not insist on playing constantly. She has the great sense to know when to lay out in favor of her band mates when it makes musical sense to do so.
Taken as a whole, A Touch of Radiance maintains consistently high compositional standards, first-rate musical craftsmanship, and an inspired level of creativity. There are no standards or battle axes here, and none of the tracks are throwaways. It's a relaxed date, but that can be deceiving: A careful listen will reveal elegantly complex music. Everyone involved is playing at his or her best.
Locke, Turner, Mraz, and Hart are jazz guys, no two ways around it. And though Eckemoff has written all of these compositions and plays piano with a certain classical sensibility, A Touch of Radiance reflects their outlooks as much as hers. That makes a richer musical experience woven from the contributions of a group of musicians who are all leaders in their own right: a first-rate record with a truly creative spirit. - Greg Simmons
Proof that Russian pianist Yelena Eckemoff is an extraordinary composer is evident from the phenomenal musicians she was able to recruit for her first-ever collection of original music for quintet. The august rhythm tandem of drummer Billy Hart and bassist George Mraz is at once piquant and complementary. What Joe Locke spools out on vibes has the tensile strength and gossamer shimmer of a spider’s web. And Mark Turner is among the most lyrical tenor saxophonists to come to prominence in the last 20 years.
This sublime cast gilds the dovetailing geometry and clean aesthetics of Eckemoff’s compositions. Despite their interior intricacy, the 10 pieces flow with smooth economy, clearly favoring through-composition to jazz improvisation (ironically, Hart seems the most adventurous band member). And although the titles connote new-age ethereality, and each song is accompanied by prose in the liner notes relating to an aspect of Eckemoff’s biography, nothing in the music feels overly precious. On the contrary, her crisp, lilting phrases and imaginative counterpoint could use more discrepancy to help distinguish
Nevertheless, the way Eckemoff has broadened her compositional palette for trio to utilize the vibes of Locke and the sax of Turner will delight her fans and perhaps foreshadows a further expansion into mini-symphonic works-at her best, there are gentle reminders of the Romantic lyricism of Rachmaninoff here. There are also triumphant moments of understatement, as in the way Hart and Mraz burnish “Exuberance.” While it’s hard not to wonder what this quintet could have done with a little more freedom, the allure of Eckemoff’s compositions and her ace recruitments skills yield enduring dividends. - Britt Robson
Tracks
01. Inspiration
02. Reminiscence
03. Exuberance
04. Affection
05. Pep
06. Imagination
07. Reconciliation
08. Tranquility
09. Encouragement
10. Radiance
YELENA ECKEMOFF piano
MARK TURNER tenor saxophone
JOE LOCKE vibes
GEORGE MRAZ bass
BILLY HART drums
All music composed by Yelena Eckemoff
Recorded May 12-13, 2014 in New York, NY
L & H Production – L & H cd806151-20