Motéma Proudly Releases SOLO, The Compelling & Intimate New Solo Piano Recording FromPianist/Composer LYNNE ARRIALE
LYNNE ARRIALE—ON TOUR: Lynne's “Solo," featuring Omer Avital, bass/oud & Anthony Pinciotti, drums
- March 11—Bach Dancing and Dynamite, Half Moon Bay, CA
- March 13-14—Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA
- March 15-16—Dazzle, Denver, CO
- March 17—Yardbird Suite, Edmonton, Canada
- March 18שrd Sunday Jazz Series, Moline, IL
- March 22—Snug Harbor, New Orleans, LA
Lynne Arriale Qtet, feat. Wessell Anderson, James Singleton & Paul Thibodeaux
Pianist/composer Lynne Arriale's 2011 recording, Convergence (featuring Bill McHenry, Omer Avital and Anthony Pinciotti), amassed a considerable amount of critical acclaim: it reached #4 on the Jazz Week Radio Chart; was named one of the “Top 50 CDs of 2011" by JazzTimes Magazine; named one of Jazz Police's 2011 Essential CDs; and is the winner of the SESAC 2012 National Performance Activity Award.
With each new release and each new tour, Lynne Arriale's critical acclaim and audience appeal seems to reach another stratum. With the release of her new recording, Solo (available March 13 on Motema), Arriale once again engages the spirit of reinvention and rises above the very best of her past efforts with an album of sublime beauty and virtuosity. Motema founder/owner Jana Herzen said of Arriale, “Lynne has been with us since 2003, she was the second artist on the label and one of our truly brilliant and best selling artists through the years. So many times I have enjoyed hearing her in a group setting and yet at the same time had a longing to hear her pianistic voice solo and unadorned. Her fingers 'singing' solo on this disc unsurprisingly turned out to be every bit as engaging as I imagined and then some."
On Solo, which features bold new originals alongside works by Thelonious Monk, Cole Porter, Billy Joel and Lerner and Lowe, the spotlight is directly on Arriale's piano artistry, and her passionate spirit for this instrument, and for this music, shines with layers of deep emotion. “Some people write in their journals . . . I create my journal through music; expressing what I cannot put into words," said Arriale.
Following 15 years of working exclusively within the trio and quartet formats on her first nine CDs, Arriale decided the time was right for her to record her first solo CD. Arriale explains, “in rehearsing and recording this program I discovered so much about the solo art form. Without other musicians as part of the dialogue, it became essential to make the range of the music wider and think 'orchestrally.' That discovery is having a great impact on my playing now in any configuration. When recording and performing, my focus is always to use melody, rhythm, touch and tone to tell a musical story to my audiences in a way that I hope will touch their hearts. My challenge is to 'go within,' and hopefully find the notes that will resonate with the audience. Like awriter looking for just the right word that will bring a phrase to life, I search for just the rightnotes and nuance of expression. In this respect, “Solo" is simply a continuation of my musical vision, but in a new context."
For Arriale, this project is also a close and personal interpretation of the music, and for the listener it's an opportunity to hear Arriale with a new perspective, and a heightened level of intimacy. “Playing solo piano brings us inside the music and creates a closeness between performer and listener," commented Arriale. “Solo piano is so exposed, it involves an inner exploration and an orchestral approach. Improvisational music is alive; we don't know what is around the next corner, and the music can go in a multitude of directions, especially in a solo piano format, so I wanted the pieces to unfold organically, to follow their own direction. I hope my audiences enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed making this music."
“a great, organic pianist whose beautiful and muscular playing ranks with Mehldau and Bill Evans." —LA Weekly
“The poet laureate of her generation... a stunning composer and prolific recording artist who has followed her muse without compromise." —Jazz Police
“Arriale is putting the heart back into jazz “—The London Times
“I can't really compare her to anyone. She has a really unique place in the music world. Her music transcends the word 'jazz'—it is just pure music. It's all about nuance with Lynne." —Multi Grammy Award Winning Artist Randy Brecker
“Playing music means sharing a part of myself with the audience when I perform, and I think of it in the same way that I think of 'love:' it's limitless—I can share it, and there is always more to give. My goal is to play music that allows people to share my passion and be part of the musical experience that they take away with them. “ —Lynne Arriale
For more information contact Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity.
