Saturday 9th October at 17.00 – right through Fred’s record collection. Pianist Denny Zeitlin successfully combined careers in music and psychiatry.
He also two websites, one for music and one for his work as psychiatrist and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of San Francisco. You could call him a multitasker – where does he get the time ?
In 1964 his first record appears, called Cathexis. Cathexis is an element in psychoanalysis and means something like mental or emotional concentration on a specific idea, subject or person
Accompanied by bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Frederick Waits the pianotrio burst energetically into Stonehenge. Gershwin’s standard Soon gets a fresh arrangement, drenched in a rich cocktail of harmonies with a sweet aftertaste.
Time Remembers One Time Once is a live recording from 1983, een duo with bassist Charlie Haden. Chairman Mao is a feature for the bassist, who also composed it. Free tempos, meditative, sweet, all of this in an oriental atmosphere far away from bebop. Then switch to Ornette Colemans ‘blues’ Bird Food. It begins as a social, Parker-like blues but quickly leaves that track with changes in tempo and tonality. The bassist gets a lot of solo opportunties here too.
In 1992 Zeitlin did the 27th episode of the famous series Live At Maybeck Recital Hall, solo. And finally two pieces from the album Wishing On The Moon (2018), once again in trio format.
During his long career Zeitlin received much praise from Jazz critics, for instance jazz historian Ted Gioia: “He stood out from the crowd for the unbridled creativity of his work, the richness of his harmonic palette, and the sheer beauty of his piano tone”.
Never heard of Denny Zeitlin? Listen now!
Right through Fred’s record collection – a programme by Fred Dubiez.
