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Inspiration takes many forms on Wide Open Window, Deanna Witkowski's follow-up to her acclaimed 1998 debut, Having To Ask. Once again, the talented pianist-composer-arranger shows her adeptness at smoldering Afro-Cuban rhythms, a product of her studies with Cuban piano masters Chucho Valdés and Hilario Duran in the mid '90s. But this time out -- four years later and with a lifetime of seasoning behind her since relocating from Chicago to New York in 1997 -- Deanna has added a few deft, personal touches to the mix that reflect more fully on her musical journey to date. Witkowski is capably supported throughout this marvelous outing by the flexible and tightly-knit Windy City rhythm tandem of bassist Jonathan Paul and drummer Tom Hipskind, who seamlessly shift gears from surging 4/4 swing to undulating samba to fiery son montuno grooves. New York saxophonist Donny McCaslin beautifully complements Deanna's wordless vocals with his soaring soprano work on “From this Moment On†while lending robust tenor lines to several other tracks. Together their group chemistry helps solidify Witkowski's inventive arrangements of the familiar standards and ambitious originals that appear on Wide Open Window. On the opener, Deanna takes great harmonic liberties with Cole Porter's “All Through the Night,†a tune she had originally learned from Shirley Horn's I Love You Paris. Her romantic, Latin flavored “New August Tune,†underscored by McCaslin's breathy tenor statements, opens up to a middle section that gives free reign to all the players. The quirky, blues-informed title track, dedicated to Mary Lou Williams, is full of playful, interactive exchanges with all the band members. “There's a bluesy aspect to the melody, but the harmonic progression is quite snaky, and the tune is in three,†explains the composer. “It seems to take off in different directions whenever we play it.†Her evocative arrangement of Cole Porter's “From this Moment On,†taken at a slow, luxurious pace, features a hauntingly beautiful blend of ethereal wordless vocals and soaring soprano sax. “A Rare Appearance†came out of her studies with Brazilian percussionist Vanderlei Pereira. As she recalls, “The assignment was to write something in a baião rhythm, but what I wrote was, according to Vanderlei, 'not really traditional.' But I liked how it came out anyway!†“Speak My Name,†a dynamic trio piece (sans McCaslin) shifts nimbly and seamlessly from an Afro-Cuban feel to a straight swing feel. The piece, Witkowski explains, came out of an intensive jazz workshop at Banff that she attended in 1999 with trumpeter-composer Dave Douglas. “Originally I had written that tune with no particular groove in mind; over time it developed into a cha-cha with a few dips into 3/4 swing.†The trio hits its swinging stride on an up-tempo rendition of another Cole Porter classic, “Just One of Those Things.†Fueled by drummer Hipskind's sizzling ride cymbal work and crisp polyrhythmic fills and buoyed by bassist Paul's insistent walking, Witkowski launches into some of her most dazzling playing of the session, full of the kind of intense pianistic bravura and hip time displacement that, again, recalls her mentor Chucho Valdés. Catch her whirlwind exchanges with Hipskind and also the burning solo by Paul. Deanna's rhapsodic rendition of the Howard Dietz/Arthur Schwartz classic “You and the Night and the Music†is a beautiful marriage of classical and jazz. As she explains, “This arrangement takes a classical piece that I like, a Chopin etude (Op. 10 no. 6), and fuses it with the jazz tune 'You and the Night and the Music.' While I was working on the etude, I started hearing the standard fitting over Chopin's moving chromatic figure in the left hand.†She leaves the etude form at the bridge and opens the piece up to reharmonization, then returns to the etude at the end of the piece. Her dramatic take on the Rodgers & Hammerstein show tune “A Wonderful Guy†opens with some delicate solo piano playing before the full band erupts into an upbeat samba party groove reminiscent of Tania Maria in hyper drive. McCaslin digs deep on tenor here before the piece resolves to an introspective solo piano outro. The spiritually uplifting anthem “Sanctus†is especially close to Deanna's heart, revealing yet another side of her wide-ranging musicality. Written during her three-year tenure as musical director for All Angels' Episcopal Church on Manhattan's Upper West Side, it is part of a larger mass that she composed for the evening congregation. “This church job was a great way for me to move to New York. Having an entire book of original sacred music allows my quartet to play a club and to then play a church gig as well. I also love resetting text, often taking a hymn and writing new music for the lyric. It's just another aspect of arranging that appeals to me- there's so much to work with in church music that's often overlooked.†This kind of clear musical vision, tempered by such formidable technique, will take Deanna far as her career develops. And at age 30, she's already accomplished quite a bit, not the least of which is this stunning sophomore outing. Check out the artist's website: http://khaeonworldmusic.com Track List: 1. All Through the Night 2. New August Tune 3. Wide Open Window 4. From This Moment On 5. A Rare Appearance 6. Speak My Name 7. Just One Of Those Things 8. You And The Night And The Music 9. A Wonderful Guy 10. Sanctus Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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