MAHAKALA 078 (RECORDED DECEMBER 2022)
If recordings came with instructions, “Go with the flow” is all listeners would need to know to experience Forever. The “flow” is Joel Futterman’s spontaneous and emotional approach to solo piano. Three improvisations flow from rhapsodic to rambunctious, light to dark, meandering to methodical and sparse to dense. On “Part 1,” Futterman unfolds a three-note motif, revealing moments of Bill Evans’ introspection, Cecil Taylor’s density and Paul Bley’s use of space. He seamlessly blends those styles into a 30-minute suite that is part meditative and part explosive. Futterman begins the 35-minute “Part Two” with a beautiful ballad of his own making which morphs into a blues before it takes on some of the same sound-shifting characteristics as “Part One.” The final improvisation, “Part Three” is not only the shortest track (less than two minutes), but also the most explosive, with its bass rubato introduction and fleet Taylor-like attacks in the right hand. Thanks to Chad Fowler and his Mahakala label, Futterman, who has been performing since the late 1960s and released his first album in 1979, is finally getting the recognition he deserves with Forever as well as his earlier releases on that label. In addition to the instructions to “Go with the flow,” Forever would also benefit from following warning — “Warning. Do not attempt to tap your feet, snap your fingers or bop your head while listening to this recording. It will move you in a more cerebral manner.”
BOTTOM LINE: Take a sonic journey with pianist Joel Futterman as he spontaneously creates three solo pieces that run the gamut of emotions, styles and moods on Forever. There are rest stops along the way, busy intersections to navigate, meandering country roads and beautiful musical scenery at every turn.
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