Charlie Haden - Etudes (Soul Note, 1988)

This post is by Dan

Charlie Haden (b); Paul Motian (d); Geri Allen (p)

Recorded September 14 and 15, 1987

In retrospect, Charlie Haden's band with Paul Motian and Geri Allen was one of the best piano trios of the 1980s. It was a working band with three studio albums and multiple live recordings within a ten-year span.

Etudes is a masterpiece! It features a great program of compositions from within and outside the group. The group interplay and soloing are epic. And the sound is excellent, both digital and analogue. Howard Mandel's sleeve notes are detailed and informative. Even the back cover photo, taken by Haden's wife Ruth Cameron, fits with the upbeat mood of the album and the personalities of the players. 

The album kicks off with a gorgeous rendition of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman." It's one of the composer's most intriguing tunes. Haden and Motian are perfectly paired partners who make rhythmic support interesting on its own. Allen cautiously introduces melodic variations during her solo as Motian spurs her to elaborate. After Haden's solo, Allen returns to wind things up. This is almost 10 minutes of jazz at its best.

Allen's "Dolphy's Dance" comes next, showing off her skills as a writer and performer. The rest of the program is composed by either Haden or Motian, except for the inclusion of a Herbie Nichols tune, "Shuffle Mongomery," which Allen tackles spritely. 

"Fiasco," composed by Motian, is a great example of free group playing. Haden does his usual trick of disrupting the proceedings, suspending any expectations of meter or chord progression. Allen responds nicely with sharp ideas, always delivered tastefully. Her playing throughout the program on Etudes demonstrates her enormous talent, not so much in terms of speed or pyrotechnics, but rather her originality of expression. She's consistently throwing in phrases or accents that I've never heard from anyone else. 

Etudes is one of many albums that showcase Geri Allen's prodigious talent. It's also one of the best piano trio records of the decade.