Charles Chen: Building Characters

CELLAR MUSIC (RELEASED MAY 16, 2025)

If you’re a child of the 1950s you probably remember the television show “To Tell the Truth?” and the classic line, “Will the real [name of person] please stand up.” That’s the way I feel about pianist Charles Chen’s Building Characters. After listening to the seven Chen originals and one standard I find myself saying, “Will the real Charles Chen please stand up.” The opening ballad, “Kismet,” has Chen playing in a Keith Jarrett mode. “Zhang Feo, Fierce Warrior” shows his McCoy Tyner side, while the soul boogaloo “Straw Hat” is imbued with shades of Horace Silver. There are references to piano greats such as Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans and Red Garland on other tracks. Like a chameleon, Chen has the unique ability to blend in with his surroundings whether that’s a ballad such as “Stardust,” an angular tune such as “If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler” or a jazz waltz such as “Alice in Wonderland.” The musicians accompanying Chen on Building Characters are equally adept as switching from style to style. The brass ensemble of trumpeter Randy Brecker and saxophonists Bob Sheppard and Lawrence Feldman provide the ideal cushion for Chen’s Jarrett-esque explorations on “Kismet.” Brecker and Sheppard’s playing on “If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler” is reminiscent of Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard on their classic Bluenote dates, while their funky soulful sound is the perfect complement to Chen’s Fender Rhodes’ work on “Colossus of Rhodes.” “Alice in Wonderland” captures the spirit of the Bill Evans trio thanks to a Scott LaFaro inspired solo from bassist Mike Richmond and the sensitive drumming of Adam Nussbaum. The one tune that may show Chen’s true color is “Soph, Aeon of Wisdom,” a hymn-like tune that features Brecker on flugelhorn and Chen delivering a classically inspired piano solo. All in all, the originals are well written and the solos and ensemble playing are well executed, but I just wish the real Charles Chen would stand up!

BOTTOM LINE: Pianist Charles Chen has an identify problem on Building Characters.
Each tune takes on the feeling of a different piano player and style. From the energy of McCoy Tyner to the subtlety of Red Garland, the soulfulness of Horace Silver to the angularity of Herbie Hancock, the range of styles doesn’t allow Chen to express his own style as he did so well on his 2024 release “Charles, Play!”