Jeff Gardner

Music of Chance Jeff Gardner

Recorded in New York Direct - to - DAT in 1999, the album features an all star cast - Jeff Gardner on piano, Rick Margitza, sax, ingrid Jensen, trumpet, Drew Gress, bass, and Tony jefferson, drums. The solo piano pieces - eery, contemporary, and dreamlike, are set off by neo bop numbers like Leviathan, a funky modern blues - Blues for Anna Blume, and odd time hypnotic pieces like Dreamkeeper. There is also a romantic latin number, Achados e Perdidos, which closes the album on a soft and sweet mood. Jeff Gardner's compositions have captured the dreamy and gritty atmosphere of Paul Auster's classic books, many of which lend their titles to the tracks. Brilliant solos by Jeff and the guest soloists and the firm underpinning of Drew Gress and Tony Jefferson make for a swinging and varied take on modern jazz. The varied formats - quintet, quartet, trio, and solo piano, keep the listener involved in this soundtrack to Paul Auster's soulful writings.