Customer Reviews

Till Then

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. . . as it does on this CD, you get perhaps the finest musical experience possible in this lifetime.

It's been a long journey for Danilo Perez, from his native Panama, through associations with Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, and Wayne Shorter, through his own brilliant recordings, PanaMonk, Central Avenue, and Motherland. It just goes to show that you only benefit by placing yourself among the very best players.

This disc is hands down his finest. There's a maturity of concept and execution that, although often present on his previous recordings, never sustained itself so fully as it does here. The grooves (well, information bits, in this digital age) fairly ooze confidence and élan. Bassist Pattitucci and the leader, esp., seem to have developed an uncanny empathy over the years. And Brian Blade seems perfect for the drum chair. An extremely subtle player, yet with monster chops, he provides taste, coloration, and propulsion in equal amounts, always complementary, never stealing the show.

Thankfully, Perez seems beyond the phase many young players find themselves mired in, where demonstrating one's prodigious chops is almost as important as musicality. Perez has nothing to prove. So instead of indulging in gratuitous pianistic virtuosity, he rather constructs the most beguiling solos and comping, relying on his inherent yet finely honed instincts to craft stunning soundscapes.

But what most sets this disc apart from others by young lions is its sheer, drop-dead beauty. Certainly it is not too much to say this is one of the most gorgeous recordings ever to come out of the jazz world. Yet nothing is sacrificed in terms of a genuine jazz sensibility. Subtly augmented by plaintive vocals courtesy of rising star Liz Wright on two cuts, plus the haunting soprano sax of Donny McCaslin (a somewhat neglected player) on several others, and the percussive stylings of Adam Cruz, this disc achieves a balance between delicacy and power often striven for in jazz but seldom achieved. A small but perfect example is the soprano sax/steel pan unison lines near the end of "Vera Cruz," the Milton Nascimento masterpiece, that closes things out. Yes, it's a subtle passage, but one perfectly conceived and realized, the kind of thing that's everywhere present on this disc and which vaults it into some kind of ur-jazz territory seldom if ever approached even by its finest practitioners in their most rarified moments.

Moreover, everything is so lightly worn as to appear practically inevitable: No untoward strivings, no whiff of laboring during the wee hours over scores and arrangements, no empty flash. Just line after beautiful line of glorious musical conversation occurring at the very highest levels.

A disc like this comes along once a decade, if that--maybe once a lifetime. By all means, don't miss it.

Danilo Perez is a core contributor to the great jazz of our time. I first saw him in NY in the mid 90s interpreting Monk (Panamonk). Clearly a player to watch. The attention was rewarded as Danilo released three consecutive amazing albums: Central Avenue, Mother Land, and his latest Till Then. Central Avenue primarily draws inspiration for the music of his native Panama/Caribean. The last two albums while retaining the Latin heart, represent continued exploration and growth. Danilo says Mother Land was inspired by working with Wayne Shorter (Love Alegria, don't care for Footprints). These albums are rhythmically and melodically rich and interesting. The musical ideas are as compelling as the technique. It takes a couple of listens to understand some of the cuts, and you still find new moments after multiple listenings.

Till Then is a great album.

I recommend this very enjoyable jazz piano album. This is not you standard piano trio fare as Danilo adds Adam Cruz (percussion), Donny McCaslin (saxophone) and Lizz Wright (vocal) to the mix. Danilo Perez is one of the more accessible jazz pianists today and is also one of the more versatile. This album shows Danilo's versatility firsthand with tracks ranging from a wonderful interpretation of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" to the melodic interpretation of several Latin gems such as Chico Buarque's "Trocando en Miudos". Lizz Wright (who is absolutely awesome) is featured in two tracks: "...till then" and "Fiddle and the Drum".

Inspired post-bop playing from a dual rhythm section of top notch jazz musicians. The quality of the compositions and musicianship only increases as one listens along the ENTIRE album culminating in a unique take of a timeless Milton Nascimento standard. Danilo Perez nails it down right here! Nothing "smooth" or "polished"; just good old jazz playing from HIGHLY skilled musicians.

Being a fan of jazz music from the hard-bop era I am always on the look out for new exciting talent. I have been following the musical progression of Danilo and although Central Ave was his latest and in my mind his best, he really has not produced a truly satisfying album throughout. This will come as Danilo develops his sound. I must say that Till Then is a major step back for Danilo. This is a very safe and fully unadventurous album. If you are a fan of the Pat Methany Group from the 80s or "smooth" jazz this will appeal. However if you are hoping to revitalize your jazz collection with some inspiring (cuban) jazz piano stick with Chucho Valdes or McCoy Tyner. Most listeners will realize that there is nothing new or interesting here by the third track. A major disappointment from a major talent.

I first heard of Danilo Perez by a search mistake on amazon and thought he look s like a good chap brought the album "motherland" best discovery Ive made since I came across paco de lucia, I bought "till then" after motherland hoping for a continuation of the vocals on featured on motherland it which really set the album apart from any thing ive heard before, its all good but those motherland vocals surpass this for me. mind you its all still danilo...