This post is by Dan
Recorded March 1987
Sometimes the most precious gems appear without fanfare or celebrity. As Discogs reports: "A small jazz label, Town Crier issued a number of memorable CDs. Evidently inactive after its last release in 2003, no website or recent activity has been located." The Town Crier label made only 15 recordings between 1987 and 2004.
The first of these CDs is Round Midnight by Sir Roland Hanna. It was recorded in an unnamed empty New York City concert hall that, as you might guess, has outstanding acoustics. The piano is perfectly tuned and sounds like the large wood box that it is. You can hear the decay of each note in the acoustic space - an audiophile's dream come true.
These aspects of the recording venue are key to Hanna's wondrous recital. He plays mostly his own compositions and three others by Monk, Rollins, and Ellington. A variety of styles are presented in the program: classical ("Prelude"}, blues ("Blues"), bebop ("Oleo"), ragtime ("Century Rag"), Ellingtonia ("In a Mellow Tone"}, Monk ("Round Midnight"), and other-worldly ("Astral Essence"). This CD could be required listening in an academic course on piano styles, but it's also directly engaging and satisfying as a performance. It's truly worthy of being called a recital.
Round Midnight is a precursor to Hanna's wonderful trio of IPO records from 2002:
TributariesEverything I LoveColors from a Giant's Kit
The IPO recordings also benefit from superb recording technique.
Besides his solo performances, Hanna is also an excellent duet and group player. (See Scott's review of Oasis by the New York Jazz Quartet and my review of Jimmy Knepper's I Dream Too Much).
Because he's never been associated with any particular record label, Hanna's discography may give the appearance of being scattered. Sometimes that is an advantage because he's often found in bargain bins. Regardless of label or format, Sir Roland Hanna always delivers excellence.
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