The soul of musician and pianist Denny Zeitlin was born and roamed athletically around the time that the elegantly restless creativity of Vladimir Horowitz and Art Tatum were already in full flight. Their fully-formed long limbed roaming of the keyboard a forgone conclusion by the time he took his gnarled crab-like grip of the keyboard. There he let each digit of each hand roam free as a migrating bird free as a swift in splendid isolation – or leading the other fingers melodically or harmonically – like his flock obediently migrating through the history of song.
Artfully and virtually alone [the only other member of his virtually-extinct tribe being Fred Hersch] he has crafted another solo piano recording – this time it is With A Song In My Heart – Exploring the Music of Richard Rodgers. There is, very possibly, no other frame of reference either for the genius of Mr Zeitlin’s musicianship or a solo recording of any kind that glorifies the melodic incorruptibility of Richard Rodgers songs. Both have now been captured as if in a frieze of some of the finest examples of Mr Rodgers’ music and Mr Zeitlin’s interpretations of them. As is by magic this music appears to have been written expressly for the fingers on Mr Zeitlin’s hands.
Not a note – as written or expertly expressed in each sculpted improvisation goes abegging. Every note belongs to the chip and curling sweep of its chiselled cut. Thus, from Falling In Love With Love to With A Song In My Heart fully-formed sculptures such as Michelangelo’s Legendary one of King David is born. But Mr Zeitlin’s exhibits of Mr Rodgers’ work are no museum’s lifeless artifacts.
They swing and walk and talk and sing themselves into the songs about which each is written. Bot only King David, then, but also the Mosaic, I’ve Got Everything, the bittersweet Pieta of This Nearly Was Mine, the breath of Dawn on Wait Till You See Her and the subtly fluid lines of The Creation of Adam in I Have Dreamed. All have been formed in the restless creativity Mr Zeitlin’s fecund musicianly mind.
Masterfully in all circumstances is Mr Zeitlin’s ability to read music and respond to it symphonically. In his hands the piano is automatically an orchestral voice, singing pianissimo and fortissimo, its strings, percussive keys also sounding like right hand wind and reed instrumentation as and when he wills it. On With A Song In My Heart – Exploring the Music of Richard Rodgers, he makes this symphonic transition with alacrity as if the music is being issued from his very own magisterium. That being done, the splendid musical encyclical becomes as unique a document as ever, the notes flying off the page like proverbial ballet dancers fleet of hand, foot and in the soaring voice of a chorale.
Deo Gratis…
Music –1. Falling In Love With Love; 2. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was; 3. He Was Too Good To Me; 4. Johnny One Note; 5. Wait Till You See Her; 6. Ev’rything I’ve Got; 7. This Nearly Was Mine; 8. Have You Net Miss Jones; 9. I Have Dreamed; 10. Happy Talk; 11. With A Song In My Heart.
Musician – Denny Zeitlin: piano.
Released: 2025
Label: Sunnyside Communications SSC 1781
[dennyzeitlin.com]
Runtime: 1:17:55