An Intimate Evening with Dave McKenna

It may seem odd to those unfamiliar with jazz trends, but a swing musician could find more receptive audiences and record labels soon after the turn of the millennium than he or she could a quarter century previously. Pianist Dave McKenna is a case in point. Although he's been playing and playing well since the '40s, he hit his stride in the late '70s recording a long string of albums for Concord. An Intimate Evening captures McKenna live and solo at the Sarasota Opera House in Sarasota, FL. This stripped-down approach on a number of classic tunes allows the listener to isolate the melodic and rhythmic qualities that make the pianist's playing so full-bodied. Three of the selections are divided into mini-suites, allowing McKenna to circle around themes. "Street Melody" makes stops at "Broadway," "Easy Street," "42nd Street," "Beale Street Blues," and a couple of other streets before clocking in at an impressive 26-minutes. McKenna even expands and develops "Tea for Two," bringing a new maturity to the piece in a seven-minute rendition. From the opener, "Fidgety Feet," to the suitable closer, "It's the Last Dance," McKenna never forgets the power of a lovely melody to convey emotional warmth. An Intimate Evening delivers on its promise, offering fans, aspiring pianists, and classic jazz lovers 50 minutes of expressive swing. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., Rovi