Concerto Peligroso

When I played with Bill Evans in the 1960s, the trio played Solar as a chorus by chorus exchange of solos. Bill would start with an unaccompanied chorus, pass it to me for an unaccompanied bass solo, then Larry Bunker would surprise us with a drum solo that was sometimes more inventive than what we had done not an easy task, given Bill's extraordinary rhythmic vocabulary. When we'd done that for a couple of minutes, building tension, we'd finally play several choruses as a trio, and it would feel free and exhilarating a release of latent energy after the sequence of unaccompanied solos. I have a poignant memory of that experience and wanted to create something like it for a larger band. Knowing we had a fine piano soloist in Miles Black, an endlessly able musician from Vancouver, who was available for a recording session, we decided to record this piece. It has multiple exchanges of virtuoso choruses written for the band without the usual steady rhythm section continuo part, alternating with solos improvised by the pianist. When the rhythm section eventually kicks in in its traditional role, the piece takes off with an energy that can only happen after the build up of the choruses that propel themselves without the aid of the rhythm section motor. It's a challenging piece to play, with colorful flute parts, a need for impeccable stability on the part of all the players, flawless internal pulse for the wind players and for the piano soloist, and formal harmonic clarity in the improvised piano solos so the thread of the music remains unbroken while the textures change. When it works, it's fireworks. -Chuck Israels