NEW ARTISTS1080 (RELEASED APRIL 2026)
Shortly after the death of his teacher, collaborator and friend Connie Crothers in 2016, alto saxophonist Richard Tabnik took his quartet into the studio to record I Remember Connie. So devastated by the loss of such an important figure in his life, Tabnik did not listen to the recording until recently. “Learning from and working with Crothers for 36 years was literally a dream come true for me,” Tabnik explains. “I felt that dream died when she passed.” I Remember Connie is a deeply personal tribute to Crothers, who has often been described as one of Lennie Tristano’s most devoted students. Like Tristano and Crothers, Tabnik’s playing is organic, genuine, intuitive and consistently lyrical. Crothers taught him to move beyond licks, scales and formulas and instead discover what he hears and feels in the moment. That philosophy is evident throughout the recording. Tabnik is joined by pianist Harvey Diamond, bassist Hilliard Greene and drummer Lou Grassi. Five of the selections are Tabnik originals, including three lines based on familiar jazz standards. “Angel Glow,” based on Jerome Kern’s “All the Things You Are”; “Still Smiling, Baby,” based on Ernie Burnett’s “My Melancholy Baby”; and “My Wishing Star,” based on Gene DePaul’s “Star Eyes,” bring a contemporary sensibility to the Tristano tradition. Tabnik’s serpentine lines explore the melodic and harmonic possibilities of each tune without sacrificing their underlying character. Diamond’s use of block chords, cascading single notes and percussive propulsion reinforces the melodic contours, while Greene and Grassi provide the firm rhythmic foundation and contrapuntal interplay essential to this style. The upbeat “Wo Ai Ni” features precise, lyrical solos from each member of the quartet, as well as a particularly effective alto saxophone/piano unison passage near the conclusion. The centerpiece of the recording is Tabnik’s “I Remember Connie.” You can feel the pain, joy and admiration Tabnik has for Crothers in every note of this heartfelt ballad. Tabnik met Crothers in 1980, when she was performing with Warne Marsh at the Village Vanguard. Not long afterward, he became her student. “Connie’s lines were the hardest things I ever played, but she believed in me, encouraged me and changed the trajectory of my musical path,” Based on I Remember Connie, that path will move forward as Tabnik continues his journey of keeping true to Crother’s main message — trust in what you hear.
BOTTOM LINE: As a young saxophonist in the early 1960s, Tabnik took the road less traveled. Drawn to the sense of adventure and lyricism he heard in Lennie Tristano’s music, he sought out players such as Lee Konitz and Connie Crothers as he developed his own genuine and intuitive approach to jazz. Those qualities are in full display on I Remember Connie a heartfelt and long overdue tribute to his 36 year musical relationship with Crothers .
I Remember Connie is available from New Artists Records at
http://www.newartistsrecords.com.
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