Marian McPartland Silent Pool CD

Rather than "Silent Pool," the Marian McPartland selection on this rather sleepy CD that best sums up the music is "Melancholy Mood." Long adept at writing harmonically sophisticated originals, pianist McPartland is featured on a dozen of her compositions with the backing of 20 strings, bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Harold Jones. Alan Broadbent's string arrangements (a throwback in some ways to the mood music records of the 1950s) are lush, dreamy, always middle-of-the-road and sometimes dull. McPartland plays well as usual on the ballad-oriented set that includes at least three of her best-known originals ("A Delicate Balance," "Ambiance" and "Threnody"), but the unadventurous strings clearly weigh down the music. ~ Scott Yanow

Liner Note Author: Dick Sudhalter.

Recording information: O'Henry Sound Studios, Norht Hollywood, CA (06/11/1996/06/12/1996).

Illustrator: Meredith d'Ambrosio.

Photographer: Bruce Burr.

Unknown Contributor Role: Paul Shure.

Arranger: Alan Broadbent.

Personnel: Marian McPartland (piano); Assa Drori, Don Palmer, James Getzoff, Maurice Dicterow, Marci Dicterow, Charles Veal, Tibor Zelig, Murray Adler, Gina Kronstadt, Stanley Plummer, Israel Baker, Bonnie Douglas, Paul Shure (violin); Jorge Moraga, Mimi Granat, Cynthia Morrow, Harry Shirinian (viola); Jerry Kessler, Jodi Burnett, Fred Seykoura, Ray Kelley, Suzie Katayama (cello); Harold Jones (drums).

Audio Mixer: Phil Edwards .

Down Beat (7/97, p.50) - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5) - "On SILENT POOL, McPartland achieves a unity with the orchestration that some jazz musicians seem to find difficult....the music never asks anything out of character for a string choir, and McPartland's stately chords make her something of an orchestra herself..."
JazzTimes (4/97, pp.71-72) - "...[McPartland and arranger Alan Broadbent] exceed expectations. McPartland does some of her finest playing on record. Broadbent creates unity approaching that of the movements of a classical work..."