Title: A New and Different Treat from Yelena Eckemoff
Yelena Eckemoff has, yet again, presented us with a new style of musical composition, and, as always has bettered herself once again. “Lonely Man and His Fish” is, very simply, a musical journey that you’ll want to take over and over again. As always, she is joined by “A-List” sidemen who augment her piano playing. I’ve long been a fan of both Ben Street and Eric Harland, and the introduction to me of Kirk Knuffke and Masaru Koga has proven to be not only a brilliant addition to this recording, but they have also proven to be two musicians that I will be seeking more of. The recording tells its own story the more you listen to it, and every song is written with tremendous depth and imagination. While it’s always hard for me to choose a “favorite” song on records that are this consistently wonderful, I was especially stricken by the first track on Disc Two, “Into The Wild.” I will occasionally set my CD player to just repeat that one track and let the music just drift me away. In short, this “Lonely Man and His Fish” is truly a must-have for any jazz fan’s collection. Thanks, Yelena, for yet another musical treat to help calm my often-distressed self.