Customer Reviews

Elton Exposed: Revealing Jazz Soul of Elton John

5 star:		(5)
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2 star:		(1)
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Some tasty playing here. It's always interesting to hear a jazz performer work over some pop tunes. Howe does a good job here.

Soulful, rhythmic, tight, familiar but unique. Ted shows that he has paid his dues and then some as a player, teacher, innovator, and arranger. While every song is ultimately engaging, Border Song shines with a pulsing driving force that wraps you up and carries you along. Cirlce of life suprises with its ablility to transform a powerful orchestration to a jazz trio and still have the same exhilarating affect. For those of you that don't know Ted or his music, this is a wonderful introduction. Highly recommended!

I really wanted a jazz version of some EJ hits, but sorry, that seems to be the hardest word, since I cannot bring myself to buy it after hearing the sample of "All The Young Girls Love Alice."

The version on this CD is brutally painful to my ears. C'mon, it's a song about wives using a young girl to perform sex acts, and here it is turned into elevator music. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Whatever you feel about this interpretation of Elton John, this album seems to be so much more about piano and jazz than it is about the Elton John music. The performance is seasoned, clever and playful all at the same time. He, at times, reminds me of Vince Guaradi with more articulation (and a better sounding piano).

A critical listener might find the bass or drums at times sounding a little distant in the mix, a mix that clearly favors the piano. An example are the cymbal washes in "Carla Etude"; they don't quite sound like they are in the same room. Once the song comes up to speed, you don't notice it as much.

The only disappointment might be "Circle of Life" which starts with an academic sounding Latin beat (I would guess Brazillian-style, but it lacks authenticity) that is not matched style-wise by the piano. Ultimately, it has so little in common with it's namesake song that he could have called it something else and claimed it as his own. As the song winds down, the piano feels like it's getting tired. The comping becomes less energetic and imaginative.

Overall though, the entire album has a big-budget sound and is very accessible as jazz goes. Broad appeal is assured.

Not necessarily for Elton fans. I'm a huge fan of classic Elton John music, and I also love jazz, but I would not have played the songs as Howe's versions at all. Very nuanced and original take on Elton's music. Very surprising. If you get it for the jazz you'll love this whether you like Elton or not. If you like Elton, you'll be amazed at the depth Howe finds with incredible musicianship.

This is very listenable, very enjoyable. A little deeper jazz than what I normally listen to. But good to have on at a dinner party or when company's over, if you're out relaxing by the pool or in the yard or something like that. Excellent musicianship. Very refreshing to hear Elton's music interpreted this way; it translates very well.