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From placing their own
self-released CD into the CMJ Top 20 in 2004 to landing a review in the
Jazz Times with their last release, New York Electric Piano has come a
long way. And just like the
universe, NYEP is expanding. The original trio of pianist Pat Daugherty,
bassist Tim Givens, and drummer Aaron Comess
has doubled, adding 3 New York
musicians: Leon Gruenbaum on his unique
instrument the Samchillian, Till Behler on saxes and flutes, and the singer Deanna
Kirk. After three instrumental releases that probed the Fender Rhodes
electric piano sound their new release out Oct. 27th features
vocals, acoustic piano, and a diverse set of Daugherty originals that
embrace jazz’s past while exploring its future.
It all began as NYEP
played out their 2007 release Blues in Full Moon. Leon Gruenbaum, keyboardist with Vernon Reid and James “Blood”
Ulmer, began showing up at the bands gigs. “Leon is one of my favorite
players and I invited him to bring his ax and sit in”, Pat says. “He did
and has never left!” In the early 90’s Pat and Leon shared the piano
chair at vocalist Deanna Kirk’s NY restaurant, a jazz spot that was the
center of a burgeoning scene.
Then Till Behler, a tenor/flutist known for his recording work
with the Brazilian Girls, showed up at a Cutting Room gig and sat in. “I
heard Till one night at NuBlu and he had a
fierce tone,” Pat confesses. “I knew his sound was right for the band.”
Till had played with Aaron and Tim in the late saxist
Arnie Lawrence’s band, also at Deanna’s. The
fans loved Till that night and he was in.
Also that night Deanna,
who has performed with Eartha Kitt and Cecil Taylor, performed Pat’s song “Why are
we here?” The tune normally has a bossa feel but the band swung it that night: the
crowd was mesmerized. It got Pat thinking, why not add some vocals to the
new album. “I was listening to some old big band records and I was intrigued
with how the vocalist doesn’t come in till the end of the tune.’ Daugherty
explains his inspiration for Temple
Tantrum, a paean to
dance. Finally Pat invited the drummer Mal Stein to add some soundscapes to the record. “Mal added a beautiful
layer that confirmed the misterioso quality of
the music.”
Suddenly these
musicians with a shared sense of community had become the new NYEP. They
display the results of their chemistry on King Mystery. Bill Milkowski has said of NYEP, “From start to finish,
this highly interactive trio grooves with crackling intensity and a rare
degree of group think”.
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