JEFF COLELLA & PUTTER SMITH

BETWEEN FRIENDS

Capri Records

Jeff Colella, piano; Putter Smith, bass.

This is a duo recording, presented by the American Jazz Institute. It exemplifies extraordinary trust and musical intuition shared between two good friends. The album title, “Between Friends” says it all! This production shows their ability to communicate and articulate in real time, improvising creatively.  The pair plays in perfect sync with one another, listening, interacting and freely creating simultaneously. They open their first duo album with a Smith composition titled, “For Us.” It proffers a beautiful melody and shines a spotlight on Putter Smith’s mastery of the bass.

Jeff Colella is a sensitive accompanist and composer.  His song “A Prayer for the World” was composed eight years ago, not necessarily as a jazz tune but more so a reflection of his perception of the world.  It’s a pensive, emotional tune, With Putter Smith adding bass lines both supportive and sometimes dissonant.

“As time has gone on, I think the world needs a prayer even more,” reflects Jeff Colella.

They include two compositions by Bill Evans, “Laurie” and “We Will Meet Again” where Colella explores the richness and emotional sincerity of Evans’s awesome writing. “Laurie” is such a sweet tune, and Colella begins his interpretation as a solo pianist, touching the keys tenderly and using arpeggio runs to tinkle down the keyboard, like the ripples on a moving river.  Putter Smith soon joins him with bass lines that are almost like descant notes. They’re not the normal walking bass line I would expect. Sometimes he adds bass harmonics, like a guitar strumming. His voice echoes his exploratory bass note choices, reminding me a little bit of Richard Reid, a southern California bassist who enjoyed singing along with his bass solos.

I enjoyed their ‘take’ on the Billy Strayhorn tune “Isfahan.” Colella brings out the beauty and sophistication in this tune, letting his piano creatively investigate the possibilities that these chord changes inspire. Putter Smith walks his bass rhythmically beneath the arrangement.

Jeff Colella has performed and recorded with Lou Rawls, Jack Jones, Sheila Jordan, Bob Sheppard, Larry Koonse, Diane Schuur and more.  He is a working educator in Southern California and serves on the faculty of World Mission University in Los Angeles.  Putter Smith has a career that spans more than six decades.  His bass has accompanied Art Pepper, Ray Charles, Gary Foster, Warne Marsh, Carmen McRae, Lee Konitz and Thelonious Monk.  He too is a respected educator, one who has inspired generations of musicians.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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