George Cables - Too Close for Comfort (2021) [Hi-Res]

George Cables should be declared a National Treasure. As a pianist he is surely second-to-none on today's jazz scene. Listen only to "A Valentine for You" to hear what a jaw-dropping beauty of tone he can produce from the pile of wood and metal we call a piano, and how much critical mass is behind every sonorous voicing of his chords.

As a musician he possesses endless imagination and creativity, shown by his strikingly new takes on tunes we thought we knew, particularly the title track, "Too Close for Comfort," which retains little trace of its pop song origin. As a composer he has quietly amassed a catalogue of works of extremely wide range and extraordinary quality, such as his compositions on this release, "Circle of Love," "This is My Song," "Klimo" and the aforementioned "A Valentine for You."

And finally, the album's cover photo perfectly captures George Cables the man - full of boundless energy, a love of his instrument and the music he makes on it and an impish sense of humour, evidenced by his titling the record Too Close for Comfort during a pandemic where social distancing has become the order of the day. The artist Edward Hopper said, "Great art is the outward expression of an inner life of the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world." That would explain why the world according to George Cables is such a wonderful place to be.

George Cables (piano)
Essiet Essiet (bass)
Victor Lewis (drums)