The term “Milwaukee’s Best” probably doesn’t have the positive connotation that it should, thanks to that being the name of Miller Beer’s economy brand. But when it comes to musicians, there’s plenty from this fine Wisconsin city to be proud of, from Woody Herman and Al Jarreau to Daryl Stuermer and Hubert Sumlin. And that’s not even including soon-to-be-stars like Ethan Keller. With the release this week of Off The Cuff, pianist/composer Rick Germanson leaves us no choice but to include him on that lofty list, too.
Germanson, like all up-and-coming, talented jazz musicians from the world over, moved to NYC in his mid-twenties, firmly establishing himself with stints in the bands of Pat Martino, Eddie Henderson, Frank Morgan, George Coleman, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb and Cannonball Adderly’s best drummer, Louis Hayes.
In this his third album, Germanson once again employs that tried-and-true trio format. It’s a getup that works well only if you have good chops, good compositions and a sympathetic, strong rhythm section. Germanson has all three bases covered for Off The Cuff. For his bassist, he chose Gerald Cannon, a veteran of bands led by McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Roy Hargrove and Steve Turre. And on drums, he rounded up his boss in the Cannonball Legacy Band, the badassed Hayes.
Like the Kait Dunton or Steve Allee records we covered in this space, Germanson also reaffirms the continued vitality of piano/bass/drums in hard bop jazz, adding grace and muscle in equal helpings. He also mixes up the mood so that one never gets the feeling that it’s just one long song being played at varying keys and tempos.
“Quagmire” kicks off the album on a crisp footing with a tightly-constructed hard-bop melody. The first thing that gets noticed is Hayes’ world-class brushwork. But when Germanson launches into a solo, there’s little doubt as to whose date this is; his brisk, lyrical lines show the imprint of both Bill Evans and Kenny Barron. And then right after that, Germanson uncorks a beautifully winsome ballad, “Jill’s Song.” “Daytona,” showcased by a bouncy bass solo from Cannon, is a relaxed, pleasing bossa nova.
“The Way Of Water” is Germanson alone, a moving and moody piece that incorporates fastidiously conceived classical elements, wisely favoring the beauty of the song over some crowded clusters of notes. The high-strung “Brick,” however, is the place for the boys to show us what they’ve got. Hayes does most of the talking on this relatively brief burner, taking explosive but tasteful solos near the beginning and the end of the tune. Germanson’s best composition comes at the end of the record, the slippery and snappy “Any Thoughts?”.
Germanson threw in a few standards for good measure: an elegant and sensitive reading of Freddie Hubbard‘s “Up Jumped Spring” was recorded only a couple of weeks after Hubbard’s death and makes for a touching tribute to the great trumpeter. It’s also hard to find any fault with this combo’s treatments of “This Time The Dream’s On Me,” “Wives And Lovers” and “Autumn In New York.”
Flawlessly produced by Rob Dixon, Off The Cuff is yet another winner by the Owl Studios label, and hit the streets on June 9. You owe it to yourself to taste some of Milwaukee’s Best…music, that is.
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