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| Here it Comes: Debut Album from Peter Smith Jazz pianist and composer, Peter Smith, has released his long-awaited debut album "Here It Comes, " featuring Molly Ringwald. The album has already received considerable critical acclaim, and is available for purchase on the Web at CD Baby and Peter Smith Music. "Peter Smith's artistic talents as pianist, composer, and singer reflect his inclusive and engaging nature as a man, " comments John B. Williams, internationally renowned bassist and composer. "This is a beautifully done CD with great performances by all. A truly memorable musical journey that one will enjoy taking again and again." "I met a great pianist (Smith) in New York, and then he moved to L.A, " Molly Ringwald related in a recent LA Times feature. "Then when I moved here for Secret Life of the American Teenager, he was the first person I contacted. We've been gigging around town, and it's great!" "I've played the piano my whole life, " says Smith. "While at Columbia University, I studied extensively with pianist Mike LeDonne. I'd say my primary influences are the titans of the fifties and sixties: Miles Davis, Ahmad Jamal, Cedar Walton, Tommy Flanagan, guys like that." Smith's playing does not shy away from the "swinging phrase, " and he often emulates the joyful feeling heard in the music of greats like Wynton Kelly and Errol Garner. Compositionally, Peter owes much to Horace Silver and Bill Evans, which becomes clear when listening to "Once Again, " "My Daughter, " and "Put My Fears to Rest." Many know Molly Ringwald as the superb actress in countless films, but few know that her singing career began when she was a little girl, making her recording debut with her Jazz pianist father, Robert Ringwald. More recently, she led the Broadway cast of "Cabaret, " and the national tour of "Sweet Charity." Peter is the musical director of her ensemble, and the musicians on this album comprise Molly's "working band." Much of the original music here was tried and tested on the bandstand as "opening numbers" for Molly's performances. Although Molly only sings on two tracks, she is, essentially, the impetus for this group and this album. The musicians' contributions on "Here It Comes" are superlative. Charles Owens, Allen Mezquida, Trevor Ware, and Clayton Cameron play with great fluidity and effortless mastery. Every track commands attention, but a selected sampling should include the following: "Put My Fears to Rest" is the gem of the album, interpreted by Patrice Quinn. "Once Again" swings in the classic, "Art Blakey" style. "Mean Streets" features the incomparable brush-work of Clayton Cameron, and "Blues for LeDonne" is a real "tap-your-foot" blues, inspired by Mike LeDonne. "My Daughter" plays like an art song. "I Just Want to Be with You, " which Smith and Ringwald co-composed, harkens back to the sweet standards of old, and Allen Mezquida's gorgeous alto solo reminds one that the "walking ballad" is not a lost art. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Jazz News :: home page |