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It was a pleasant surprise when I listened to Jesse Stacken, pianist of the Peter Van Huffel Quintet, who has shared the music stand with the young guitarist Scott Dubois, and is a leader who also shows very interesting stance. Stacken, now, takes flight with this CD which serves as his prologue, as well as his Mission Statement.
Accompanied by a non-contemptible rhythm section, formed by the Norwegian Elvind Opsvik and the American Jeff Davis, this trio is a very good example of the music that is being developed by certain youths in Brooklyn . Fresh Sound New Talent records has been putting out CDs for years that attempt to define a denomination of origin to this great New York Borough. At times the results have been more fortunate than others, and there has been a criterion of vagueness, but there are left these instances for posterity to remind us of what was cooking at the beginning of the millennium among young jazzmen of Brooklyn.
Focusing on Stacken, after listening intently to THAT THAT, we find a complete pianist, formed with a great capacity and ability that tells us about the many places he wants to go to. That lack of focus is normal in young musicians, and should not be an obstacle at the time of evaluating Stacken in its just measure. His “pianism” emerges in gushes full of life, taking us from one place to the next without fully exploding, but maintaining our interest intact throughout the CD.
Stacken sounds at moments like Andrew Hill, Paul Bley, Jarrett, Mehldau and even as Craig Taborn, still undefined, but shows solid technique and a fresh risk-taking approach.
THAT THAT is a very interesting debut in that Jesse Stacken, with innocence according to the circumstances, shows a superior quality to many supposedly consecrated pianists. The raw material is there. The maturity will come soon enough. Now he must go forward and show us what he wants to do.
Yahve M. de la Cavada. - tomajazz.com
purchase that that
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