PAPATAMUS REDUX

SUNNYSIDE RECORDS 1720  (RELEASED MAY 2024)

Some drummers might shy away from recording a whole CD of ballads fearing that the slow tempos and melancholy melodies would never give them a chance to shine. Not the case on Tony Moreno’s Ballads, Volume 1. The opening track, Matt Dennis’ “Violets for Your Furs,” tells you this will not be your typical piano trio ballad session. Rather than quietly playing brushes through this set of ballads, Moreno adds percussive color to them — a splash of a cymbal, a soft drum roll, even some hard hits on the snare on tom-toms. At first, I was caught off-guard by this unique approach to ballads, but by the fourth tune, Henry Mancini’s “Loss of Love,” I was a fan of not only Moreno’s surprising ideas, but the adventuresome and sympathetic playing of Gary Versace and lyrical quality and full sound  of bassist Francois Moutin. The bigger question for me was why Moreno picked so many obscure and under-recorded ballads for this session. The answer came in the liner notes — his mother! Moreno’s mother, Nina Dunkel was a well-respected harp player who worked in New York City restaurants and hotels. Moreno compiled some of his mother’s favorite ballads for this session including several Alec Wilder tunes such as “Remember My Child,” “A Season or Two Ago” and Lovers and Losers” as well as Lerner and Loewe’s  “Show Me” from My Fair Lady. Although the trio is led by Moreno, it’s really the tunes that guide the session. The 11 ballads played on Ballads, Volume 1 are in good hands with the creativity of Moreno, Versace and Moutin.

BOTTOM LINE: Somewhat obscure ballads, an original approach to performing them and obliging musicians make Tony Moreno’s Ballads, Vol 1 an interesting and enjoyable addition to the art of ballad playing.