Gabriel Latchin Trio - The Moon and I (2019)

The Moon and I is the second album release by pianist Gabriel Latchin, featuring original compositions and interpretations of treasured standards for piano trio. “There is something perfect about the instrumentation of piano, double bass and drums. The combination just fits somehow and, in my opinion, has a timeless quality,” says Latchin. “However following in the footsteps of innovators such as Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal and Herbie Hancock, among others, is no easy task for a pianist these days.”
The title of the album, The Moon and I, is a line taken from the Hubbell and Golden standard ‘Poor Butterfly’, a beautiful song with particular significance for Latchin. “I had my debut performance at Wigmore Hall with bassist Christian McBride and singer Renée Fleming in 2016,” explains Latchin. “Beginning ‘colla voce’ with the verse, ‘Poor Butterfly’ was the first piece I played with them. It was a wonderful and memorable experience for me.”
As a new father, it was natural that Latchin’s young family provide the inspiration for much of this album. The opening piece ‘Arthur Go’ is written for his first son; the closer, ‘Pippy’s Delight’ for his second. Both compositions are based on Gershwin’s ‘I Got Rhythm’ and together they bookend the album. Latchin wrote the jazz waltz ‘Brigi, My Dear’ for his wife and ‘Peek a Bu’ is a dedication to the great drummer and band leader Art Blakey. “He was also known as Bu, short for Buhaina,” says Latchin. “Evoking personal heroes of mine - McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton and Bobby Timmons, who all played with Blakey - the childlike twist of the title of this minor blues also embraces the family theme of the album.”