RANDY INGRAM

SOUND WITHIN: A CELEBRATION OF BILL EVANS

Chill Tone Records

Randy Ingram, piano; Rufus Reid, bass; Joe La Barbera, drums.

Although the iconic pianist, Bill Evans died in September of 1980, his talent and legend still influence and inspires the jazz community.

“The thing that’s most important to me about Bill Evans is not a style. It’s not the way that he plays, or the devices that he uses. It’s the sound of the piano. … That’s something that comes from deep inside. So, I made sure to hone in on my own sound for this album,” Randy Ingram explains in his press package.

Ingram opens with “Turn Out the Stars,” a popular Bill Evans composition.  He is joined by Joe La Barbera on drums who played with Evans’ during the final Evans trio days.  La Barbera has become a mentor to Randy Ingram, although they are generations apart.  You also hear the bass master, Rufus Reid as part of the Ingram trio. Reid played briefly with Bill Evans in 1978, performing at New York’s famed Village Vanguard and at the Jazz Workshop in Boston. This trio’s 5/4 arrangement of the Evan’s tune is quite unique. It sets the tone for this album.

“The way that I connect to Bill’s music is through finding something undeniably true there.  We live in an age where people seem to feel pressured to present themselves through curated external fronts, and I really appreciate someone like Bill who created something deeper, something that’s real and that comes from more of an interior perspective,” Ingram affirms.

True to his appreciation of Bill Evans, Randy Ingram brings his own personality and style to this recording.  I am impressed with his improvisations and his crystal-clear creativity. I loved his interpretation of “My Foolish Heart.”  Randy Ingram said, when he was in high school, most of his peers were blasting Pearl Jam, He, however, was listening to Bill Evans albums, especially “Waltz for Debby.”  Ingram recalls that he kept pressing repeat on his car stereo system to hear “My Foolish Heart” over-and-over again.

Another little piece of trivia is that Ingram actually portrayed Evans in the 2013 Swedish film “Waltz for Monica (aka: Monica Z),” a biopic of the singer and actress Monica Zetterlund that became that year’s highest grossing film in its home country. It won several awards.

Ingram has contributed three original compositions to this recording.  One is titled, “Aloft” with a very free-floating arrangement that glides into my listening room. He plays with a freedom that escapes groove. When Rufus Reid steps into the spotlight, to solo on his double bass, he solidifies this arrangement.  I believe Ingram has an emotional connection to each song he interprets. There is a freedom he explores on the 88-keys that is fascinating.

Ingram’s trio takes off on “Ezz-Thetic” that celebrates both Evans and composer George Russell. The tempo races, and the pulse of the music explodes! It gives Joe La Barbera an opportunity to sparkle on his trap drums.

The title tune, “Sound Within” sounds like something Bill Evans could have composed.  It’s quite beautiful, with a melody that explores and expands, dancing one way and another without containment. Randy Ingram’s piano playing is an excursion into beauty, style and talent. I like that he breaks boundaries.  He takes us on a trip into musical space aboard his own private rocket ship. Ingram introduced my ears to new and amazing musical horizons.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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