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about
Pianist Ted Rosenthal's ambitious solo piano recording has as its theme the music of three great pianist/composers – Bud Powell, Bill Evans, and Beethoven – which give the disc its name. "Much of my musical life has focused on integrating diverse elements into one whole," writes Rosenthal in the liner notes. "Specifically, incorporating my love of classical music within my life and identity as a jazz pianist/improviser/composer. Inspirations from each 'B' influence all of my music – Bud's inventive, quintessential bebop lines and rhythmic drive; Bill's harmonic richness and sensitivity; Beethoven's endless developmental genius and sense of drama."
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Reviews
| Ted Rosenthal's contemplations of three musical giants reveal imagination, poetry, and wit. They entertain and fascinate; and they show us things about the artists he honors that we may not have grasped on our own – giving us a new awareness of their originality while caroming back into the present of his luminous creativity. |
| — Robert Levin, |
| Ted Rosenthal's playing is elegant, and his invention is fertile. The sound on this recording matches the beauty of his playing. |
| — Dick Hyman, |
| Bud Powell, Bill Evans and Beethoven never had it so good! Ted interpretation of these three masters is a joy to listen to. This CD has all the elements that make for fine listening: impeccable taste, fine piano artistry and a sense of what is required to produce these elements. Well done, Ted. |
| — George Shearing, |
| His classically modernist take on Powell and Evans fits hand-in-glove with the improvised Beethoven |
| — Mark Corroto, AllAboutJazz.com |
| With this subtly provocative solo recital, Ted Rosenthal merges three very different streams of piano history, putting his personal stamp on all of them. In Rosenthal's hands all this music sounds as though it sprang from the same muse, and that's the sign of a skilled, imaginative artist. |
| — David R. Adler, All Music Guide |
| His clean, crisp Powell readings (striding 'Wail,' heated 'Celia'), and Bill Evans takes are pristine. His surprise is not just tackling Beethoven's 'Pathétique' and Op. 109 sonatas, but programming them into a cohesive set. |
| — Fred Bouchard, DownBeat |
| Rosenthal makes use of the piano's full scope adding inspired innovations to well-known pieces. Ludwig may initially strike as the odd man out, but as the second and third movements of the 'Pathetique' sonata emerge, Beethoven's inclusion begins to make perfect sense. Rosenthal seeks out the artfully subtle folds in both the 'Pathetique' and the 3rd movement of Sonata op. 109 and uses them to his improvisational advantage. |
| — Elliott Simon, AllAboutJazz-New York |
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[PSR#J080199]