Providence

Reviewed: 2018-04-27
Genre: General
FCCs: none
Review: For this latest solo album, pianist Madeira created a song cycle dedicated to the town of his birth. The result is some great piano songs that emphasize the beauty and dexterity of this amazing acoustic instrument, supported by the fine rhythm section from Emmylou Harris’ current batch of Red Dirt Boys. Surprisingly rich in diversity, the album moves from the rock & roll rhythms to jazz inclinations to a waltz to slow ballads. Madeira mixes in smart horn arrangements here and there for accent, and even invites friends like John Scofield to add jazz-influenced guitar solos, but it’s really an album that celebrates great piano playing and all that it entails.
If You Like: Mose Allison, Lyle Lovett, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Les McCann
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Wicked Job (6:28) – piano starts> rocking uptempo song> piano solo> song> quick stop & a fade
2/ A Rhode Island Yankee On Jefferson Davis Court (3:19) – piano starts> funky midtempo song> guitar solo> midtempo song slows, then jumps back up to midtempo jam & fade
*3/ Dearest Companion (3:08) – piano starts> slow waltz & song> piano solo> slow song slows to fade
*4/ Back In The Ocean State (4:15) – piano starts> midtempo New Orleans style & song> horns break> midtempo song> fade
5/ Barrington (4:06) – piano starts> slow song> piano solo> slow song> quick stop
*6/ Crescent Park (4:31) – drums start> uptempo song> funky guitar solo> uptempo song> funky guitar solo & fade
7/ Rich Man’s Town (5:39) – piano starts> midtempo blues song> horns break in midtempo jam> midtempo song> crescendo end
*8/ Wide Eyed Dream (2:39) – piano/horns start> midtempo song> piano solo> midtempo song> crescendo end
*9/ Native Son (4:41) – piano starts> slow blues song> guitar solo> slow song & slow fade
10/ Gothenburg (3:10) – piano starts> slow song> slow fade