Pianist
John Coates is best known to those who attended his performances at the Deer Head Inn in the tiny village of Delaware Water Gap, PA, over a 25-year period (
Phil Woods and
Keith Jarrett are among his biggest champions). Unfortunately, most jazz fans have overlooked his works, since
Coates waited until 1974 to make this record following his recording debut as a leader for Savoy in 1955, and most of his releases have been on small independent labels. This trio date with bassist DeWitt Kay and drummer Glen Davis was recorded at Northampton Community College, and though there were no rehearsals, the musicians work well together in a set dominated by
Coates' richly textured compositions. Portions of his "A Simple Waltz" seem rooted in classical music, with a moody quality often associated with
Bill Evans. His solo take of
the Beatles' "Yesterday" is a stunning, very imaginative arrangement, and his rollicking run through
Joe Sullivan's "Little Rock Getaway" is also a treat. The audience must have been in awe of
Coates or incredibly well disciplined, as no reaction is heard until the end of the final track. Just two of the LP's six selections have been reissued on his Pacific St. CD compilation The Omnisound Years, but most fans will quickly find themselves searching for the complete original discs on the long-defunct Omnisound label so they don't miss out on anything this brilliant musician has to say musically. ~ Ken Dryden