Domestic Harmony - Piket Plays Mintz

Reviewed: 2019-12-28
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: This is a birthday present for pianist Piket’s husband, drummer Billy Mintz. Mintz writes simple and distinctively quirky tunes. Piket interprets these for solo piano with a devotional zest, and with obvious love. A spin through Mintz' discography reveals his "outside" approach to composition. For her part, Piket has been described as an outside/inside artist. On this disc, she brings the Mintz sound closer to the inside, revealing the simple beauty of Mintz’s tunes.
If You Like: Thelonious Monk, Matthew Shipp, Keith Jarrett
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Ghost Sanctuary (7:04) – piano starts slow, builds to midtempo> builds in volume, then subsides> slow fade
2/ Beautiful You (4:22) – piano starts slow, builds to midtempo> builds in tempo> pause> hesitant flurries of notes> quick stop
3/ Looking Down At The Stars (3:17) – piano starts slow & hesitant> slow solo> quick fade
4/ Shmear (4:39) – piano starts lightning fast> pause> majestic heavy notes> pause> lighting fast run swings into fast tempo solo> majestic heavy notes> lightning fast run quick stop
**5/ Flight (6:03) – piano starts midtempo> weaves back & forth, then swings uptempo> slows to fade
*6/ Destiny (8:12) – piano starts slow & quiet> slow song> piano solo swings to midtempo> slow song> fade
**7/ Your Touch (4:49) – piano starts hard & slow> swings to midtempo> quick fade
**8/ Blinds Eye (4:16) – piano starts hard with a quick crescendo> midtempo solo weaves back & forth> builds to uptempo> pause> midtempo solo swings uptempo briefly> quick stop
***9/ Ugly Beautiful (5:26) – piano starts midtempo> midtempo solo builds in volume & intensity> slow fade
*10/ Cannonball (5:48) – piano starts midtempo> midtempo solo> crescendo> pause> crescendo end