Denny Zeitlin - Odyssey (2026)

Denny Zeitlin has long compared music making to setting out on a journey. The legendary pianist, composer, and sound synthesist has been combing his archives for years, finding tremendous, exploratory recordings in an array of settings, along with capturing new recordings from his home studio. His new collection, Odyssey, highlights three long-standing projects, namely piano led trio with recently departed bassist Mel Graves and percussionist George Marsh, solo piano, and electro-acoustic duo with Marsh.

From Zeitlin’s notes:

This album chronicles some more of my favorite adventures in the areas of acoustic piano trio, solo piano, and electro-acoustic duo.

George Marsh (drums) and Mel Graves (bass) were co-explorers beginning in 1968, when I began a foray into multi-genre, electro-acoustic music. It was a treat to re-unite with them as an acoustic piano trio in this 2003 concert. “It Could Happen To You” employs shifting time signatures, mostly in 7/4 with moves into 4/4; a vamp to stretch out on; and a final modulation for spice. “Body and Soul” begins with a freely improvised piano introduction, followed by a reharmonized and modulated melody. I love the collaborative exploration of these great old standards.

Three solo piano studio pieces focusing on Cole Porter follow. Once I re-familiarized myself with the tunes, and explored some possibilities of reharmonization and approach, I stepped out of the way of the music and allowed myself to be surprised. “I Love You” ended up at a moderately brisk pace with episodes in half time; “Night and Day” as a slow rumba; and “It Was Just One of Those Things” as an extensive exploration involving several tempos.

The third section of the album is devoted to the continuing electro-acoustic duo exploration of spontaneous composition with drummer/percussionist George Marsh, which began in 2014. Our almost telepathic rapport has continued to evolve, along with our instrumentation. My incorporation of SWAM orchestral software and George’s addition of the Roland Electronic Drums have greatly enriched our galactic palette. There was no pre-planning on any of these pieces. On a few occasions, when we ran out of appendages, a bit of orchestration is over-dubbed. The titles came after, in an attempt to capture at least some experience of the performance.

Denny Zeitlin - piano & keyboards
George Marsh - drums & percussion
Mel Graves - bass