Bill Charlap

To read about concerts, so they say (at least in Germany), is like to talk about food. So the New York Times sometimes adds little videos of the concerts written about, for instance in Ben Ratliff's review of the Bill Charlap Trio performing at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola ( New York Times ). Charlap's pianistics remind him of Bud Powell, writes Ratliff and adds as a compliment, he felt like running home to listen to old records by Powell, Hank Jones and Sonny Clark "to find out if jazz was really like this once". It was even better, one will find out. And that's a problem for Charlap ... which he gets around by concentrating less on stylistic eras than on the melody and the possibilities of its transformation. The video lets you in on the club's atmosphere. It starts with a bass and drum solo by Peter and Kenny Washington (not related) and blends into an uptempo tune full of the Powell phrases Ratliff writes about. In the background you see the unique panorama window and the marvelous view of Central Park South.