Darren Litzie

On My Own Time

 Summit

Pianist and composer Darren Litzie has been performing professionally for over fifteen years and brings us his second album, the piano trio-based On My Own Time. LItzie has deep roots in Connecticut, holding a Master’s degree from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music, a Bachelor’s from Western Connecticut State University, and currently serving as Adjunct Professor of Music at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.  Litzie has a broad scope that includes Latin and Caribbean music, deep dives into The Beatles’ music, and a strong foundation in jazz. Joining LItzie are the bassist and drummer who appeared on his 2022 debut, My Horizon. Bassist Chris Deangelis has performed with a wide array of artists, from Jimmy Greene and Chris Brubeck to touring with the Pink Floyd tribute band, “The Machine.” Drummer John Riley has performed with many jazz luminaries, including Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, and many more.

The album is both eclectic and mostly accessible, with tinges of Brazilian music and The Beatles. Litzie leads with the tile track, based on a Brazilian groove called  Baiao. Riley’s brushwork is especially noteworthy throughout, as well as his solo.  The rhythm is tricky, full of both pauses and exhilarating runs on the piano. Litzie rearranges the standard “Moonlight in Vermont” into a darker, more melancholy mood, as if reminiscing on a brief relationship that didn’t endure. His original “Just After Three” is a fairly conventional waltz where each voice shines through clearly. “Maybe We’ll Try” has the samba as its foundation, but Litzie turned the first four bars into a vamp that he uses as an intro, interlude, and outro.

“If I Could Only Forget” has elements of country and R&B in a 12/8 groove, played at a slow tempo. It rings like a blues except that it takes a turn in the last four bars. The two interludes on the record subvert the usual sequence of melody-solo-melody to solo-melody-solo. Litzie also experiments with fade-in effects, a technique influenced by Beatles albums. “Busy Work” is a feature for the bassist, Deangelis. Originally conceptualized as a 12-bar blues, Litzie wanted to depart from the conventional, transforming the tune into a cycle of fourths. “Before Tomorrow” is one of the more adventurous tracks, bordering on free jazz, as the drummer and bassist play loosely in broken time, rather than adhering to a strict groove. Riley’s cymbal work is the kind that would only come from a veteran. Deangelis gets a lusty turn as well. Original “A Short Walk from Here” is built on a simple, strong pattern with an unexpected shift in the second half, where the piece moves through three Major tonal centers, each a Major third apart, a nod to John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.”

Litzie concludes with two very different covers, his arrangement of Monk’s “In Walked Bud” with a funky groove in seven, a countermelody, and inventive modulations. Litzie’s penchant for ‘60s rock appears in The Zombies’ “Time of the Season,” reharmonized with texture changes.

On My Own Time is a bright, colorful, at times effervescent  piano trio album that never lags or gets bogged down in unnecessary experimentation, yet boasts plenty of imagination.

• Jim Hynes.

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