Kenny Werner, the tranquil force

66 years old and with a discography stretching to forty albums, Kenny Werner comes from a line of discreet but indispensable jazzmen. Still animated by a great spirituality, his piano is venerated by colleagues who know the value of this musician who played with the greats like Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp, Mel Lewis, Ron Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Bob Brookmeyer, Joe Henderson, Al Cohn, Tom Harrell, Chris Potter, Brian Blade and Lee Konitz. As for his extensive teaching (Brad Mehldau was one of his students), he confirms here the total devotion to jazz which has marked his whole life. A beauty and a serenity which he couples with consummate creativity.

This album, which he has made with the help of his rhythm section (the double–bassist Johannes Weidenmüller and the wonderful drummer Ari Hoenig have been with him for years) is rich and abundant. On their re-imaginings of pieces like The Song Is You or If I Should Lose You, the trio take some delicious risks. In terms of the writing, there too, the three musicians' creativity reaches its zenith, revealing where they work together and where they spar.

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