Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua, Darek Oles - The Interlochen Concert (2016)

Tracklist

01. Chandra
02. Autumn Rose
03. Con Alma
04. StickSlap
05. Wichita Lineman
06. The Music of My People
07. Barcelona
08. Bulgaria
09. I Hear a Rhapsody

The brilliant and highly versatile drummer Peter Erskine attended the Interlochen Arts Academy in 1968 as a high school student, graduated in 1971 and returned a few months later to play a gig there with college classmate pianist Alan Pasqua in the fall of that year. On April 8, 2009, Erskine, Pasqua were joined by bassist Darek Oles and performed at Interlochen again for the first time in 37 1/2 years. The results, heard on The Interlochen Concert, are being released by Fuzzy Music and distributed by BFM Digital.

John Ephland wrote this about The Interlochen Concert in his review of the CD for Downbeat: "...audible proof of Erskine the consummate trio accompanist who somehow, tastefully manages to steal the show...a mix of covers and fetching originals by Erskine and Pasqua, featuring creative reinterpretations of Dizzy Gillespie's sweet 'Con Alma,' Jimmy Webb's heartfelt 'Wichita Lineman' and an elegant, swinging take on Jaki Byard's blues 'Chandra.' Erskine's 'Autumn Rose' is a quiet, meditative piece that hearkens back to his trio days at ECM in '90s, when delicacy and controlled passion were the rule."

Recorded without any editing or overdubbing, The Interlochen Concert is heard exactly as it took place. Beginning with a heated medium-tempo blues by Jaki Byard ("Chandra"), the set also includes the lyrical ensemble ballad "Autumn Rose," a fresh take on Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma," the sunny feel of calypso on "Stickslap" and a rendition of "Wichita Lineman" that removes the song from its original pop context and reinvents it as a floating and meaningful ballad. Erskine's "The Music Of My People" has danceable bass lines and parade rhythms. "Barcelona" brings out the band’s European leanings with close interplay between the musicians, "Bulgaria" features the players at their most adventurous and "I Hear A Rhapsody" swings this memorable concert to its conclusion.

Throughout the consistently exciting yet thoughtful performances, Peter Erskine sounds quite happy accompanying Alan Pasqua and Darek Oles while taking short solos that add to the music's vitality. He has returned to his roots both geographically and musically, clearly enjoying the opportunity to explore straight ahead jazz and sophisticated ballads with two of his favorite players.

Bass – Darek Oles
Drums – Peter Erskine
Piano – Alan Pasqua

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