The Gabriel Latchin Trio – ‘The Man I Love’

Who needs another album of Gershwin interpretations?

Well, it turns out we do. 

Pianist Gabriel Latchin’s The Man I Love is something of a revelation right from its opening moments. The pointillist delicacy of his introduction to ‘Summertime’ – like drops of summer rain falling in a Japanese garden – amounts to a miniature reinvention of one of the best known songs in the canon.

It’s also a striking reminder of the musical osmosis that occurred between the likes of Ravel and George Gershwin in the early 20th Century (in fact, in his liner notes, Latchin tells us how his starting point for this piece was a love of Debussy). But that’s just the preface to this ravishing interpretation of ‘Summertime’. Having so strikingly set out his stall, Latchin leans into it, and the tune begins to cook and swing. His poise, economy and timing are immaculate, but so is his playful attitude which is positively exhilarating.

The support here is also first rate. New York drummer Joe Farnsworth distinguishes himself early on with his sparing and tasteful use of cymbals in the closing passages of ‘Summertime’.

‘How Long Has This Been Going On’ is beautifully measured and lyrically leisurely, with perfect use of space: a gracefully spun out, slow-motion study. The song develops into a teasingly, pleasurably lingering experience, soft as the touch of silk to the skin. It’s so relaxing it’s positively therapeutic; after one listen you feel like you’ve spent a week in the country.

‘They All Laughed’ is itchily hip, with ringing, shimmering runs supported by supple and attentive bass from Jeremy Brown, the third member of this superb trio (who also worked together on Latchin’s 2023 album Viewpoint). The tune has a stylish staccato attack, which opens it to improvisation and exploration before returning to the theme with the inevitability of a great punchline to a favourite joke.

‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ is intoxicatingly chic, tripping across the stepping stones of the tune and reminding us what a work of genius it really is. The way Latchin sketches the melody with absolutely minimal intervention is reminiscent of how a master caricaturist captures a likeness. It also calls to mind Count Basie. The interaction – and separation – of Latchin’s left hand and right is like listening to two soloists sparking off and supporting each other. Farnsworth’s drumming is a model of tasteful restraint, and Brown’s plucked upright bass provides a warm, pulsing underpinning until he steps forward for a succinct judicious fragment of a solo.

‘’S Wonderful’ is a bossa nova excursion which extends the sound-world of the album, and shows off Farnsworth’s versatility and power. Latchin’s piano has an edge of sunny Tropicalia psychedelia. It’s summertime again folks – the summer of love in Rio.

But if ‘’S Wonderful’ is a masterclass in style, ‘Embraceable You’ shows how much depth of feeling counts for.  The emotion here is raw, tender and profound, stirring the hair on the back of your neck. It’s remarkable that the idiom of hard bop piano, which Latchin so effortlessly commands, can be attuned to such heartfelt sincerity.

Gabriel Latchin. Photo credit: Rob Blackham.

Elsewhere in the riches on offer here, ‘Someone To Watch Over Me’ has a wistful intricacy which develops into hipster melancholy, then full blown rolling, cascading sensuality.

Although George Gershwin created some of the most memorable orchestral music of the century, the piano was of course the origin of it all, and perhaps its natural home – played by the composer himself, at a party, with a girl at his elbow. In many ways, a piano trio is the perfect vehicle for an exploration of his work, particularly a trio of this purity and virtuosity.

I spoke to Latchin, who graciously rang from the departure lounge of an airport, making time as he was outward bound for Spain. I asked him how Gershwin came into his life. “I started hearing and learning his music before I knew who he was. The first album where I really got to know his work was one featuring Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson.”

I mention that Latchin’s style is very different from Oscar Peterson. “He used to be more of an influence. These days I love Bill Evans,” he says, citing the name I was so eagerly expecting. But there are some surprises, too: “I love Nat Cole. All the guys I like – Ahmad Jamal, Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan – the lines all go back to Nat. I’m also kind of obsessed with Sonny Rollins. I’m trying to speak his language, but on the piano.”

Two other facts gleaned from our conversation, and well worth passing on: the glamorous femme fatale sitting with Latchin on the perfectly judged, sophisticated cover photo is in fact his wife; and The Man I Love will also have a limited release on vinyl.

Put me down for a copy. 

With a spate of album launch gigs this spring and summer (kicking off in early May in Maidenhead and London), you might well like to supplement your copy of the CD – and indeed your LP – with some front row seats at a live appearance.

from https://ukjazznews.com