East and West marks the first release in the MaxJazz label's piano series and the seventh as a leader for the pianist, composer, and arranger
Bruce Barth. Six original compositions are among the ten great songs that feature
Barth's straight-ahead playing style, evocative writing, and exemplary improvisations. Four songs exemplify the west: "At the Ranch," with its laid-back slow-tempo tune featuring the horns of Terrell Stafford and
Steve Wilson out front; "Riding Off"; "Sundown Time," a serene piece featuring
Barth on piano in a quiet mood; and "The Dude," complete with the jazzed-up image of an Old Western cowpoke-type on a cattle drive or the dressed-to-the-nines ladies' man coming through via the left-hand piano chord stylings of
Barth. It's the listeners' pick!
Barth solos on Thelonius Monk's "Ask Me Now" and is joined by
Ugonna Okegwo on bass and
Al Foster on drums on
Monk's "Let's Call This." "My Shining Hour" and "Joyful Noise" are among the repertoire selected for the program and they add more than an afterthought to the Eastern perspective. ~ Paula Edelstein