Press & Reviews
Jazz & Blues Report
Nancy Ann Lee
2009
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Pianist Eric Muhler releases his fith album, a seven-tune quartet set recorded live at The Hillside Club in Berkeley, CA in July t2008 with Michael Wilcox (Fodera bass), Brian Andres (drums) and Sheldon Brown (sax).
At age 60, Muhler is no kid, but why we may have not heard his name is that he was a stay-at-home dad for his two daughters for 20 years. Although he worked on a variety of music projects during that time, his performances were rare.
Nonetheless, his seasoning shines though on this smart club set of exhilarating, fresh-sounding strait-ahead originals that range in duration from 8 to 13-plus minutes. His team is a tight unit driven by Andres’ extraordinary traps artistry. Muhler’s tastefully executed keyboard elegance is apparent throughout. He’s enhanced by Brown’s crips, imaginative solo expressions, especially on the title tune. One of the loveliest numbers (9:40 minutes) is ‘1990 for Jane,” with a pretty melody, joyful beat and spotlighted solo of Wilcox on electric bass with Muhler comping underneath. “Jane at Home” closes out the set and it’s a busy, beat-driven 13:10 minute fortay that features fine solos all-around.
The jury may be out on Muhler but your ears will tell you that his case is one to be heard. This is an enjoyable listen from start to finish. Hopefully, he’ll release another quartet with these same cats in the near future. Together, they sparkle and soar!
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