Drummer Allison Miller & Pianist Carmen Staff Reconstruct Melody & Rhythm On ‘Nearness’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Nearness is the follow-up of sorts to 2018’s Science Fair for the duo of drummer Allison Miller and pianist Carmen Staaf.  Nearness though is strictly a duo album while the predecessor was a core trio album with Ambrose Akinmusire and Dayna Stephens adding trumpet and sax respectively to some tracks. Nonetheless, Miller and Staaf should be familiar names to jazz fans. They have a history together, as they were part of violinist Jenny Scheinman’s Parlour Game and Staaf plays on Miller’s project Rivers In Our Veins. Staaf is the music director for vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and she also plays in Miller’s band, Boom Tic Boom. Here, the ten compositions represent eight originals, five by Staaf and three by Miller as well as two standards. While that seems to imply tons of structure, the approach was loose while maintaining a sense of melody and rhythm. 

The album commences with Miller’s rousing “Dan Dan,” a pop-like tune that emerged during the uncompleted tribute album to drummer Shelly Manne on which both participated. Here both musicians launch into the tune vigorously, deftly navigating its tricky syncopation which smooths out as the tune evolves. Right away one gets a sense of Staaf’s rich pianism, one that’s full of ideas with a superb command of dynamics, and a core style that often invokes blues. With Miller’s propulsion, the two can create locomotive motion and bring it down to a whisper almost instantly. For example, Staaf’s “Blue Thrush’ begins pensively, complete with a recording of a bird song that the pianist captured at the Bronx Zoo. She begins to gradually build bluesy momentum, with some notes just trailing off gorgeously as Miller uses cymbals and chimes to accent the piece. 

“Top Shelf,” by Miller, originally appeared on the Parlour Game recording. It’s a frenetic fragmented, wandering piece connoting the absurdity of getting drunk on top-shelf liquor. The two are totally locked in, feeding off each other’s energy, with Staaf continuing to surprise, in this case, her chording on the low end with her right hand is absolutely flying. Instead of a rousing climax, they fade – yet another unexpected twist. Hoagy Carmichael’s “Nearness of You” just seems to emerge naturally from that fade, demonstrating that the two can dial it down to gorgeous restraint, putting a cap on it with the most delicate of endings. 

Staaf’s “New York Landing” is high-energy blues, meant to capture the excitement of landing in the jazz capital.  The momentum takes its cue from an Elvin Jones-inspired 3 against 4 rhythmic feel. Staaf seems especially taken with Miller’s whirlwind activity on the kit, giving her piano a drummer-like workout. Staaf’s fascination with the outdoor life continues with “Birds,” a tune that as much as any, represents how these two work together using contrasting sections, polyrhythms, repeated motifs, and shifting moods to keep the listener engaged and surprised. Again, their energy is explosive only to melt away quietly as it ends. Miller’s “Beans and Rice” is a more conventional swing tune, a bit jagged in parts owing to Monk and melodious at times owing to Ellington with terrific drum-piano exchanges and drum solo toward the end. 

They nod more overtly to Monk for his “Ask Me Now,” again rendering it with a delicate touch. Staaf’s “MLW,” her tribute to one of her major influences, Mary Lou Williams, has appeared on a few recordings including Science Fair, but the approach is different this time out. It begins with a series of short phrases but then alternates swing with bluesy statements to a left-hand walking bassline and insistent beats punctuated with snare cracks to an abrupt close. Staaf’s “Chant,” a meditative piece with minimal notes and whispering percussion, closes, 

Miller and Staaf have delivered compelling music, with shifting moods and directions that never seem constrained. Both play with energy and versatility, sharing a natural musical bond that exudes relaxed enjoyment and spontaneity.  

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