Greg Reitan: The Bounding Line

SUNNYSIDE 1740 (RELEASED SEPTEMBER 6, 2024)

What’s the difference between Greg Reitan’s The Bounding Line and the five trio recordings (2008-2019) that preceded it? One big difference is the lack of any jazz standards or selections from The Great American Songbook. Over the years, Reitan has focused more on his original compositions and that’s what The Bounding Line is all about. Despite that difference, a few things have remained the same. Reitan is accompanied by the same musicians he has worked with on his earlier releases — bassist Jack Daro and drummer Dean Koba. The long-standing relationship between the trio is evident in the collaborative interplay on the nine Reitan originals. Whether the tune is a ballad or an up-tempo swinger, a waltz or a march-like beat, Reitan’s trademark sprinter-like right hand races up and down the keyboard, spinning a web of well-placed notes that always build from the center of his melodies. The recording shifts from tunes such as “The Path,” with its classic Bill Evans trio sound to “The Bounding Line” with its angular approach reminiscent of early Keith Jarrett trio recordings. Much like Dave Brubeck’s “Strange Meadowlark.” Reitan’s “My Love is an April Song” begins with a floating solo piano before it settles into a comfortable 4/4 beat. Reitan’s compositions were inspired by his 2019 residency in the secluded surroundings of the Aaron Copland Home in Cortlandt, New York. As a result, the overall mood of The Boundling Line is more pastoral and reflective which does not always mesh with the speed and intricacy of Reitan’s right hand. All in all, however, The Boundling Line is a nice addition to Reitan’s growing discography as a pianist, composer and leader.

BOTTOM LINE: Pianist Greg Reitan leaves the familiar ground of jazz standards for a set of originals inspired by his residency at the Aaron Copland Home in the Hudson River Valley. Although the overall mood of the session is more pastoral than earlier releases, the energy of a trio Reitan has worked with for close to 20 years keeps things interesting.