While Linda Presgrave has been an important part of the New York jazz scene since 1998, displaying consistent originality as both a pianist and composer, traveling overseas has long been a significant part of her career. Along The Path introduces suites inspired by her visits to Asia and France.
For this project, Linda gathered together some of her favorite musicians including several who she has worked with many times before. “Harvie S, who was on my first CD In Your Eyes, has been on every one of my CDs. He is a brilliant bassist, his creativity adds so much to the music, and I always feel very comfortable playing with him. This is the third time that I have recorded with drummer Allison Miller including on my last CD Inspiration. She always inspires us. Todd Herbert is a terrific saxophonist who deserves wider recognition. Vincent Herring, the great alto player, is a good friend of mine and I feel honored that he played a couple of pieces with us. I work with vocalist MJ Territo’s group Ladies Day; she wrote the words to “Bird Of Céret”. As for Stan Chovnick, he is not only a great soprano sax player and the producer but my husband. I wrote a lot of the pieces with him in mind.”
The four-part Asian Suite began to come together during a trip to Hong Kong a few years ago. Linda was walking on a path in Ngong Ping Village and she noticed a sign listing how many miles it was to the United States and to other countries of the world. “It made me think about the coming together of east and west.” “Along The Path,” which serves as the overture to the suite, has a distinctive melody and a catchy rhythm. Linda’s ability to open her jazz playing to the Asian influence and her direct and melodic playing are a little reminiscent in spots of Horace Silver. Her arrangement includes a straight ahead section for Stan Chovnick’s soprano plus short spots for Harvie S and Allison Miller.
The French Suite was inspired by Linda’s 2006 tour in France. The six-part work has a trio number, three quartet pieces (each with a different horn), a song with all three horn players, and the final number with a vocalist.
“Where East Meets West” is an homage to Macau, a city that was originally a Portuguese colony in China. The arrangement mixes together the cultures of China and Portugal in an inventive and very musical fashion “Harbor Lights” is a light melodic piece that was written in tribute to the scenic views of Hong Kong and the popularity of pop/jazz in that international city. Stan’s soprano takes the melody and Linda’s chordal solo perfectly fits the piece.