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Michael Hutchins
Via Gelato Cafe
July 31st 2010
1853 Tower Drive
Glenview, Ill 60026
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Julius Meinl
July 31st 2010
Addison / Southport
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From This Place (Tilapia) - Deanna Witkowski
Deanna Witkowski -- Piano, Vocals
Donny McCaslin -- Saxophones
John Pattitucci -- Bass
Scott Latzky -- Drums
Pianist Deanna Witkowski has made her home in New York for the past 11 years after studying in the Chicago suburbs at Wheaton College's conservatory. In her time there, she's worked as the musical director at All Saints Church, and worked in other religious settings as well. The fruits of that labor are here for all to see on Witkowski's latest album, From This Place.
I'll be honest here and say that this is great music, but hard music to describe from a jazz standpoint. Certainly, there is plenty of improvisation to go around, and no one with even half of a brain would dare question the jazz credentials of anyone involved with this disc. But this isn't the spirituals of Grant Green's Feelin' The Spirit, nor does it have that "gone to church" feeling that runs through the music of Ramsey Lewis or Gene Harris. This is liturgical music first, and Jazz second. That realignment of priorities pushes the music here in some beautiful directions, but that also means that this becomes a disc whose value is completely dependant on intent. If you're looking for some of the most grooving music to have ever been played at a mass, then you, my friend, are in for a treat.
This is also a disc that rewards multiple and intensive listenings. Once I started to realize that this disc is more about affirming one's faith than blowing one's mind, it started to reveal its charms. This disc has some beautiful moments that aren't at all jazz, and it has some gorgeous moments that couldn't be mistaken for anything else. Because this is music meant first and foremost for church services, the rhythms are simple, and the improvisations are short (I'd love to hear a few of these songs in more performance oriented situations), but, considering their purpose, they are effective.
One of the interesting things about From This Place is the useage of old hymn text and psalms. Excepting the lyrics written by Witkowski and the song Keep In Mind, which features a 20th century paraphrase of one of Paul's epistles, all of the lyrics here come from poets or hymn writers of the 1800's. On a few of the slower songs here, Witkowski uses the meandering meter of the poems she's dealing with in fascinating ways. I Heard The Voice of Jesus Say is a glowing example of this. Witkowski's piano and Pattitucci's bass weave around the lyrics, and McCaslin's soprano is used to great effect. Witkowski's solo unfolds beautifully, arcing with Latzky's loose drumming, and finally coming back down to earth with a gorgeous, albeit short, solo from Pattitucci.
The midtempo selections seem to be aimed towards congregational singing, and while it doesn't make for fascinating listening from a Jazz standpoint, as I stated before, this is certainly the most grooving music that I've ever heard come out of a Catholic church.
Let My Prayer Rise, a musical adaptation of Psalm 141 is an exception. It swings lightly, but effectively. And, at least to these ears, it's reminiscent of Blueberry Hill. Christ the Light turns up the heat a bit, and I wish that McCaslin's solo on this one had been a bit longer.
Witkowski's originals on From This Place are some of the most interesting selections here. The song From This Place builds beautifully and is a definite high point on the disc. Never Before is Witkowski's recounting of the angels telling St. Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus. While not at all jazz, it is the most striking moment on the CD. An a cappella piece in 3 part harmony, it's stop what you're doing gorgeous. The four part Evening Mass bounces between delicate funk (there's really no other way to describe it) and contemplative balladry.
As a jazz musician writing for the church and church folk, she's in some pretty great company: Mary Lou Williams, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, and more recently, Gregory Tardy have all written sacred works of varying size and scope. While I might hope that someday Witkowski would write for GOD, as opposed to "THE CHURCH" (in the way that Ellington and Tardy have done), in the meantime, From This Place will do, and will do quite well. If you're looking for Jazz that can double as "inspirational" music, I'd highly recommend it.
By: Paul Abella
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