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the world today. His bebop approach to
melodic phrasing is like that of a jazz horn player, giving
his music a unique quality. When you hear Dan's complex
and bopping style, you'll wonder why the accordion is so
little used in contemporary jazz.
As a pianist his technique is equally engaging:
sometimes funky, sometimes playful, but always fresh, fluid,
and swinging.
He's a composer, too. The four original
compositions on "Dandi Works" range from hard bop to latin
jazz, swinging blues, and a haunting waltz. All of these
songs are candidates to enter the general jazz reportory.
They are such strong tunes they sound like instant standards.
Although "Dandi Works" is Diamant's first
CD, he's a versatile veteran of the jazz scene, having played
with such greats as Toots Thielmans, Milt Hinton, Bernard
Purdy, and Don Lamond. In the early days he served time
in the bands of Skitch Henderson, Ray Bloch, and Peter Duchin.
The other members of the Dan Diamant Trio
are equally accomplished veterans.
Bassist Brian Glassman, who offers an enticingly
steady and dynamic accompaniment, has played with the likes
of Lionel Hampton, "Sir" Roland Hanna, Cecil Payne, and
John Pizzarelli.
The sparkling and musical drummer, Steve
Halloway, adds much more than swing time to the trio. Steve
has played with Nat Adderly, Mose Allison, Eddie Harris,
and Joey DeFrancesco, among others.
You know Dan's a rebel when he starts the
session with The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," then follows
it with his own composition, "Roll Your R's." You'll especially
like Dan's renditions of the Dietz-Schwartz standard "Alone
Together" and the swinging Johnny Mercer tune, "Only You."
Dan's own compositions "Waltz des Amis" and "Dolores Bolero"
will keep you humming for days to come. And the bebop classics—Dizzy's
"Tour de Force" and Bird's "Yardbird Suite"—show how well
this later generation understands the soul of bop.
Enjoy these first fruits of a lifetime of
music!
Dan
Diamant's page
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