Greg Reitan: The Bounding Line
Sunnyside Records

Two things to note first about Greg Reitan's The Bounding Line, the pianist's sixth release on Sunnyside Records. To begin, its title derives from William Blake's contention that the more “sharp and distinct” the boundaries of a piece are defined, the more perfect the artistic result; secondly, the set's five Reitan originals were written during an artist residency in the summer of 2019 at Rock Hill in upstate New York, the place Aaron Copland called home for the last thirty years of his life. Sitting at the same desk where the great American composer worked and perusing his scores and book collection, the understandably inspired Reitan experienced a creative outpouring that crystallized four years later in the October 2023 recording of the release at Los Angeles's Concept 2 Studios. In closing the album with a faithful rendition of the poetic reverie “Down a Country Lane,” the first piece Copland wrote after moving to the home, the pianist both expresses his appreciation for the residency opportunity and acknowledges the impact it had on his creative process.

Formed after its members met while studying at the University of Southern California, Reitan's trio with acoustic bassist Jack Daro and drummer Dean Koba has been active for nearly three decades. It's only natural, then, that their telepathic connection would be high, and certainly The Bounding Line finds each clairvoyant anticipating the others' moves. Most of Reitan's titles relate to the residency experience, from “The Path,” which alludes to the trails connecting the Hudson River parks enjoyed by Reitan during his stay, to “Rock Hill,” a direct reference to the Copland house.

Reitan follows a long line of others who've embraced the Bill Evans template and the concept of advanced conversational interplay and balance between the trio members. Daro, Koba, and Reitan are all capable of commanding attention as soloists, but it's their seamless partnering that speaks most highly on the trio's behalf. As animated as it is, there's serenity to “The Path,” especially in the Evans-channeling waltz treatment with which it begins. A Steinway Artist and pianist of consummate taste and style, Reitan's attack is fast, fluid, and lithe. Torrential runs span the keyboard as his partners power the performance with ample muscularity and invention. The even livelier title track moves at a sprint that finds the pianist soaring across his colleagues' furious groove with authority.

An Evans tune is not amongst the covers, but the connection is present nonetheless in the inclusion of “My Love is an April Song,” which Earl Zindars wrote for the pianist in the early ‘60s. As a soloist, Reitan's quick on his feet, agile, and with an ultra-mobile right hand; he's also not afraid, however, to slow things down and give in to his lyrical muse, which he does deftly on the Zindars cover. The luxuriant treatment, especially when Daro and Koba's sensitive contributions are factored in, makes the song feel like a jewel too seldom covered. Daro shows himself to be as circumspect a player as the leader, as his tasteful solo illustrates.

The trio's versatility is demonstrated in the ease with which it adapts to different styles. Following the ballad reading of “My Love is an April Song,” for example, the three move on to different territory with Reitan's rhapsodic “Summer Days” and its soulful, rock-tinged pulse; as uplifting is “Rock Hill” for the expansiveness of its vision and breezy swing. Fine renderings of Dave Brubeck's “Rising Sun,” issued on 1964's Jazz Impressions of Japan album, and Keith Jarrett's “Love No. 1,” from 1968's Life Between the Exit Signs, also grace the set. The former receives a suave, mid-tempo reading that's both reflective and spry, the latter a wistful, ruminative treatment consistent with the character of the original.

The Bounding Line is an inspired and inspiring set, the latter exemplified, among other ways, in the discernment of the cover choices. Rather than pick familiar pieces associated with Brubeck, Jarrett, and Copland, Reitan dug deeper and picked more imaginative compositions to augment his own. On this consistently strong outing, the performances are admirably poised, regardless of whether the trio's delivering an interpretation or giving voice to one of the pianist's own creations.

September 2024