Glenn Zaleski - Star Dreams (2024) [Hi-Res]

The health of the jazz ecosystem can be discerned by sampling musicians who use tried and true means to express themselves. By listening, it can be ascertained whether there is proper respect for the tradition blended with creative touches that move the music ahead. The piano trio is a perfect vehicle to demonstrate this phenomenon and Glenn Zaleski’s trio is an ideal example of a group that holds true to jazz traditions while trying to add something more.

Presenting their third release on Sunnyside Records, Star Dreams, Zaleski, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Willie Jones III present an ideal contemporary program that swings but also broadens the language and repertory of the jazz piano trio.

Originally from Massachusetts, Zaleski has become a notable leader and sideman in New York City’s jazz scene over the past decade and a half. His recent collaborations have included brilliant stylists, like Cécile McLorin Salvant, Ken Peplowski, and Ravi Coltrane. It was with Coltrane that Zaleski met Douglas, who has been instrumental to Zaleski’s trio sound. Zaleski began playing regularly with Jones in Peplowski’s ensemble.

During the pandemic, Zaleski introduced the trio with Douglas and Jones at Mezzrow Jazz Club, playing frequently for two years. Zaleski found that Douglas and Jones provided a perfect balance of support and interaction; the swing that they produced was a powerful force with a special rhythmic energy.

Zaleski decided that it would be ideal to record the trio, as their performances had felt amazing and rewarded the audience and band alike. In deciding material, Zaleski chose to continue his tradition of honoring his contemporaries and friends by adding their music to the band’s book along with his originals and better-known standards. The trio recorded at Acoustic Studios in Brooklyn, New York in October 2023.

The program begins with a bouncy take on Harry Warren’s “I Wish I Knew,” this version based on an arrangement by Zaleski’s friend and saxophonist Adam Kolker. “Two Days” was the first tune that Zaleski ever wrote, but he shelved it initially. He began to reinvestigate the piece over the past few years, finding its ingredients leading to interesting group interpretation. Touring with McLorin Salvant introduced Zaleski to the singer’s original, “Monday.” The trio presents the piece’s first instrumental interpretation with poise and taste.

Believing that playing a blues is the best barometer of a pianist’s style, Zaleski includes Horace Silver’s “Opus De Funk,” a jaunty tune that the pianist fell in love with after hearing the wailing version on Milt Jackson’s album, Opus De Jazz. Zaleski’s gorgeous ballad “Wayne” was written while the pianist was in Paris shortly after the legendary saxophonist/composer passed away. The piece includes elements of Shorter’s style, including a pentatonic melody and unique harmonic system.

The title track’s name comes from a conversation with Zaleski’s son about what he imagines while he was asleep. The uplifting, playful quality of the tune is balanced by a dream-like mysterious quality. Another way to gauge a musician’s capabilities is by having them play chord changes. On Charlie Parker’s “Passport,” Zaleski and the trio handle the challenge with verve. The program concludes with Zaleski’s favorite ballad, Jimmy McHugh’s “I’m In The Mood for Love.” The quietly intimate take provides a lovely way to end the album.

Ideal jazz performances provide audiences with many things. They can provide joy, surprise, and romance. A great performance should also give a nod to the past while providing glimpses of the future. Glenn Zaleski and his trio deliver their new album, Star Dreams, a view on the modern jazz piano and its blend of tradition and mystery.

Glenn Zaleski - piano
Dezron Douglas - bass
Willie Jones III - drums