Audio/ July 1998 Reviews of Solo Ballads, and None but the Lonely Heart

Solo Ballads, Alsut:

            Pianist Chris Anderson is the most unsung hero in jazz, a musicians’s musician and cause célèbre who’s flown beneath the radar of major jazz institutions for decades. And there’s no easy explanation as to why. In truth, the 7—year-old Anderson’s career— which includes teaching a young Herbie Hancock and accompanying Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, and numerous others— is a complex tale of awe-inspiring talent and supreme musicianship. For a variety of reasons (his physical disabilities? his supposed reclusiveness?), anderson has gone largely unnoticed. Rarely does he record or even perform, although several recent releases unveil the talent that has flow musicians nearly breaking down the pianist’s door just to make beautiful music with him.

            And beauty is the bedrock of Anderson’s music, though his brilliance resides in an extraordinary sense of chordal coloration and textures, not flashy technique or gimmickry. His talents are exquisitely presented on Solo Ballads, which was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder at his legendary studio in 1996. This predominantly Ellingtonia set resonates with Anderson’s distinctive elocution. Completely impervious to the constraints of meter and structure, the pianist pours his heart and soul into every chord, as if he’s about to plunge into some harmonic netherworld.

            “In a Sentimental Mood” and Lush Life” begin with Anderson establishing form and harmonic foundation. But he nearly rewrites and reinvents these classics with abstract forays into the colorful recess of his own harmonic vision while never forsaking the song’s tonal center. In lieu of typical right-hand lines, his improvisation paints nocturne-like moods with chords and drop-dead gorgeous voicings. For some, Anderson’s introspective ruminations— pretty much devoid of rhythmic invention and with no discernible sense of swing— might seem like low-gear parlor music. but for anyone who appreciates beauty and has a soft spot for the underdog, Solo Ballads will be a revelation.