The New York Trio, led by pianist
Bill Charlap with bassist
Jay Leonhart and drummer
Bill Stewart, exists exclusively as a band to record for the Japanese jazz market, as
Charlap has a regular trio with
Peter Washington and
Kenny Washington, while both
Leonhart and
Stewart are busy session musicians who occasionally also lead their own record dates. These 2007 sessions focus exclusively on the extensive songbook of the prolific
Irving Berlin. Most of the ten tunes heard on this CD have long since become standards and are frequently recorded by jazz artists. One that isn't typically heard as an instrumental is "I Got the Sun in the Morning" (from the musical Annie Get Your Gun), heard in a loping yet infectious interpretation. "How Deep Is the Ocean" is one of
Berlin's most recorded songs, yet this version sizzles with energy, unlike the typical ballad treatments. Other highlights include the breezy, joyful setting of "Cheek to Cheek," with
Stewart's whispering brushes propelling
Charlap's buoyant piano, along with the bittersweet "What'll I Do," featuring
Leonhart's intimate solo. Even though this isn't a working band, things seem to gel quickly for the New York Trio when the group assembles to record.