Brian Charette

Nobody who wields an instrument of any sort can truly escape the gravitational pull of history. There are many who try to fight it, but better to embrace what came before, acknowledge where a sound or concept originates, and use that knowledge as both a port of arrival and a point of departure. There are no severed ties between past, present, and future; there are only visible and obscured links.
Organist Brian Charette's fourth album on the Posi-Tone imprint is fully invested in that art of recognition, the belief in invention, and, perhaps most importantly, reconciliation between the two. Charette covers a good deal of music written by or associated with some iconic organists-Fats Waller, Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, and Larry Young among them-and puts the material through his own spin cycle, influenced by modernists among us like the forward-thinking Sam Yahel and chops 'n' groove champion Joey DeFrancesco. The album falls a notch or two lower on the quirky/freewheeling scale than his previous releases for the label, but it's just as enjoyable and listener-friendly.
Charette travels through fourteen songs here with a pair of label-mates who are well-suited to this environment-guitarist Will Bernard and drummer Steve Fidyk. Together they reconstitute a series of classics and should-be classics with originality and taste, mixing in three originals from the leader for good measure. Jocular moods and serious skills mix often, grooves run deep, and transience triumphs, both in terms of style and song length. This crew moves easily and quickly from funk to swing and soul to bop while extending on the tradition(s).
That once and future blend is always in sight, as demonstrated right off the bat on the back-to-back pairing of Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" and Young's "Tyrone." The former is tied to the jovial, cascading melodic truths of its origins while the latter is reborn as a funky vehicle in seven. The remainder of the program is no less invested in the idea of bridging then with now. Charette and company have a blast visiting and/or retooling different times, places, and styles-hard bop via "Da Bug," a twenty-four bar blues waltz from Freddie Roach; boogaloo in the form of McDuff's "Hot Barbecue"; straight-up dance floor designs, courtesy of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now"-and they invite the listener to smile and join in the party. ~Dan Bilawsky
Personnel: Brian Charette: organ; Will Bernard: guitar; Steve Fidyk: drums.

Brian Charette is one of many New York City-based jazz musicians seeking to further his career. Following two projects for small labels (the first a self-produced outing), the organist should get greater recognition with this appearance on Steeplechase. Utilizing his working trio with guitarist Ben Monder (who has recorded extensively as a leader and sideman) and drummer Jochen Ruckert, Charette penned nine originals specifically for this session. The humorously titled "Silicone Doll" is not a parody of the famous Ellington ballad, though it is easy to imagine a pretty young lady walking to its catchy theme. The aggressive bop vehicle "Public Transportation" suggests the sudden lane changes in heavy traffic at high speed that stresses the hearts of tourists in New York City, while the lower-key "Altered Waltz" proves equally infectious. Charette's lyrical take of Duke Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss" allows the ballad plenty of breathing room, with spacious chords on the organ and sensitive use of the volume pedal, while Monder also never adds an unnecessary note, all of it backed by Ruckert's sensitive brushwork. But the trio takes in "U.M.M.G." (aka "Upper Manhattan Medical Group") at a breezy clip, with plenty of fireworks. "Upside," penned by pianist Andy LaVerne for his meeting with organist Gary Versace, is pure groove music with a solid swagger. Brian Charette has staked his claim as one of the top jazz organists of his generation with this superb release. ~ Ken Dryden
Personnel: Brian Charette (Hammond b-3 organ); Ben Monder (guitar).