Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Clay Giberson: Upper Road

134

Clay Giberson: Upper Road

By

Sign in to view read count
Clay Giberson: Upper Road
Like a lot of seasoned, contemporary jazz pianists, Clay Giberson creates music that just about always works, but always works its most magic when it takes chances and breaks free from tradition. It’s not so much a problem in contemporary jazz as it is an ever-so-slightly unfulfilled promise: it’s music that is fine, damn fine even, for what it is, but always hints at going somewhere a little more special.

With Upper Road, Giberson and an extensive crew run a tight-rope of taking the high road or the one most frequently traveled. Artists on the album include bassist Jeff Leonard, guitartist Dan Balmer, drummer Carlton Jackson, flutist Hans Teuber, and Gilberson on piano and rhodes, and there’s a smoothness to their playing, an assuredness that accompanies solid jazz music. Even use of synthesizer by Forrest Gilberson (who also subs as organist), nicely supports the calm approach and even grants a certain lushness (especially on track number three, “Rivers to Cross”).

But the album fares better, of course, when it bumps and grinds a little. This usually is to the credit of guitarist Balmer, who livens up quite a few tunes, notably “For the Time Coming,” (which features nice vocals from Sanni Orasmaa). In an odd move, tracks eight and nine are parts one and two of “Change of Mind,” but would probably be more memorable as one track: start on one plateau, move into the other, and connect the journey along the way. These guys are good, no doubt, and offer pleasant music that sometimes is much more than that. But with eleven tracks playing more or less upon familiar ideas, they’d clearly excel further if they remember to infuse the playfulness back into their playing.

Track Listing

1. The Willing (5:40) 2. Upper Road (5:27) 3. Rivers to Cross (7:28) 4. For the Time Coming (5:28) 5. Homegrown (5:04) 6. Northern Lights (5:46) 7. Brooklyn Heights (6:05) 8. Biscayne Bay (6:03) 9. Change of Mind (Part 1) (3:17) 10. Change of Mind (Part 2) (4:57) 11. Northern Lights (reprise) (2:22)

Personnel

Clay Giberson
keyboards

Clay Giberson (piano, rhodes, synth., loops, other instruments) Dan Balmer (guitar) Jeff Leonard (bass) Carlton Jackson (drums) Hans Teuber (woodwinds) Sanni Orasmaa (vocals, selected tracks) Matt Hilgenberg (trumpet, selected tracks) Forrest Giberson (wurlitzer ep, organ, synth.) Robert Di Pietro (drums, selected tracks) McKinley (vocals, selected tracks)

Album information

Title: Upper Road | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Unknown label

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.