Personnel:
Yaniv Taubenhouse (p), Rick Rosato (b), Jerad Lippi (d)
Reference: FSNT-567
Bar code: 8427328435673
"Perpetuation is the Israeli-born and US-based pianist Yaniv Taubenhouse’s third Fresh Sounds release. Its title deliberately carries dual connotations, so while musical traditions are respectfully preserved on a selection of covers of Monk, Buarque, Gorney, Porter and Loewe, each of Taubenhouse’s five original pieces seek to extend those traditions further.
The title track pits a swirling melodic line against Lippi’s dangerous rhythmic undertow, the pianist leaning heavily on his classical roots before the steadily mounting tensions release in an exhilarating crescendo.
Fairytale spins on a repetitive motif which is more unsettling than enchanting, but there’s no ambiguity in the fittingly lustrous glow of Paris.
Pigeon House Blues explores the volatile elasticity of classic Hancock-Carter-Williams, while the closing Ilaria sees the trio mining a lyrical post-Evans seam.
Straddling past and present with great confidence and poise, Taubenhouse appears set to enjoy a bright future in jazz."
Fred Grand (April 26, 2019)
https://jazzjournal.co.uk
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"Yaniv Taubenhouse is a prodigiously-gifted pianist who is also developing into a composer. Although his own repertoire is relatively small, being young and still searching for a voice that will ultimately set him apart from his peers, he is moving fast in the direction that will almost certainly get him there. Mr Taubenhouse’s music is melodically spare – not buzzing with too many notes – and it is meditative in a kind of intimate way that is characterised by a muted serenity that makes them almost seem like private devotion. You can tell that he is an obsessive perfectionist often sounding the same or similar notes in a phrase with varying dynamics as if searching for the precise tone to express the emotion he is feeling; the exact one that he wants you to experience.
The original compositions and the standard works (whether ones you are accustomed to listening to or others that are perhaps sparingly played) on Perpetuation have been polished into gleaming gems by Mr Taubenhouse. The song “Fairytale” consists of a recurring figure that is played throughout. But every time it reappears it is altered melodically and harmonically. It is rhythmically complex and seems to offer a commentary on the opening song “Perpetuation” at least conceptually. However, if you think that Mr Taubenhouse is only fascinated by odd metres and challenging rhythms perish the thought.
The pianist’s treatment of standards is beautifully simple and it follows the line of the originals. The exception is Chico Buarque’s mesmerising homage to the greats of Brasilian music, “Paratodos”, which bassist Rick Rosato has adapted by adding rhythmic and harmonic elements to the work in a manner that make it intricately new while retaining the magic of Mr Buarque’s original.
As a pianist Mr Taubenhouse is superbly eloquent . His tone and manner enables him to get under the skin of the long-limbed melancholy of this music, performing wit with a lovely flexible sense of timing. The pianist floats beautifully exquisitely limpid lines in the graceful, harmonic and rhythmic conversations with Mr Rosato and drummer Jerad Lippi; all of whom together allow this music effortlessly to unfold. The always sensitive bassist brings his velvety sound to the repertoire – especially enjoyable on “Ilaria”. Mr Lippi is warmly spontaneous and unleashes ardent rhythmic figures to complement the melodies and harmonies without fuss.
Together this trio parleys with the familiarity of old friends, yet their playing always retains its sense of gracious etiquette associated with a certain nobility of great trio music. Nothing is forced or exaggerated or overly mannered’ tempos, ensemble and balance – all seem effortless and intuitively right. All this makes for sincere and poised accounts of the music contained in this recording."
Raul Da Gama (June 1, 2019)
https://jazzdagama.com/music
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"Anyone with an antenna out for an exciting, new(ish) piano trio would do well to give Yaniv Taubenhouse a listen. The Israeli-born and now New York-based pianist offers up his third recording, tagged Perpetuation: Moments In Trio Volume Two, bringing to mind Brad Mehldau's five Art of the Trio recordings on Warner Brothers Records, released between 1997 and 2001.
Taubenhouse studied with Mehldau, and the disc's opening title tune has a Mehldau-ian feel, with a persistent but understated rhythm pushing a wandering melody ahead. A lovely, inward mood pervades, with the pianist locked into sonic symbiosis with drummer Jerad Lippi and bassist Rick Rosato.
Half of the set's ten tunes are Taubenhouse originals; the rest are standards. Frederick Loewe's "On The Street Where You Live" follows the opener, with a bright and jaunty strut putting the pianist's crisp touch on full display. "Fairy Tale," another original, drifts along on a cloud, and "Paris" has the feel of a Great American Songbook tune, its lyrics just out of mind's reach.
Thelonious Monk's "Introspection" rolls out in a smoother fashion than most Monk covers, and "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" (such an American tune) proves this modern trio can reach all the way back to 1930 and pull a bright, relevant sound into the new millennium.
A marvelous piano trio outing. Taubenhouse has a restless sense of wonder on his own tunes, and a beautiful feel for the standards. And he's got crack trio-mates on board. He seems to know where he's going: where the music takes him. This is just Volume Two. No telling how many more are in the cards."
Dan McLenaghan (April 8, 2019)
https://www.allaboutjazz.com
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"The piano jazz trio still remains the marrow of modern music. Pianist Yaniv Taubenhouse leads a team of Rick Rosato/b and Jerad Lippi/dr through a mix of originals and standards. The team is high on communication, as the team changes directions on the versatile title track. The three get stately and uptown for “Paris” and “On the Street Where You Live” with Lippi’s brushes leading the way, and the team sways to an easy blues reading of the Depression Era classic “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”. The three drive with excitement on “Pigeon House Blues” and are festive for “Paratodos.” Impressive teamwork."
George W. Harris (March 28, 2019)
https://www.jazzweekly.com
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"Born and raised in Israel, Yaniv Taubenhouse started playing piano when he was six. He studied with a variety of teachers (including Brad Mehldau), visited the U.S. several times and moved to New York in 2013 to attend The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. In his career thus far, Taubenhouse has worked with such notables as Anat Cohen, Ari Hoenig, David Schnitter, the late Roswell Rudd, Ron McClure, Rory Stuart and Will Vinson. Perpetuation (Moments In Trio, Volume Two) is his third release for Fresh Sound New Talent.
Taubenhouse has excellent technique, a strong imagination and is not shy to take chances yet is essentially a melodic player. He contributes five originals, is quite respectful to four jazz standards and performs bassist Rick Rosato’s arrangement of Brazilian composer Chico Buarque’s “Paratodos”.
Of his originals, the most memorable are “Fairytale”, which has a mysterious theme in 13/8, utilizes a four-note pattern in different ways and has rhythmic chordings, and “Ilaria”, Taubenhouse playing soulfully and a bit funky à la Keith Jarrett. Of his other pieces, jazz waltz “Paris” gradually becomes passionate and complex, “Pigeon House Blue” has the trio swinging hard and the opening title track takes listeners through some surprising twists.
Taubenhouse’s affection for classic jazz standards is obvious in his treatment of the four veteran songs. He takes a thoughtful solo during Frederick Loewe-Alan Jay Lerner’s “On The Street Where You Live”, stretches Thelonious Monk’s “Introspection” a bit while always keeping the melody close by, interprets Jay Gorney-Yip Harburg’s “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime” slightly faster than usual and makes very few alterations during a brief version of Cole Porter’s “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye”."
Scott Yanow (March, 2019)
The New York City Jazz Records
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"Subtly sailing along in a way that elicits an all-over feel-goodism, the title track for Yaniv Taubenhouse’s new CD, “Perpetuation,” glows like a welcomed candle in the dark. Taubenhouse (trained in several instruments but ultimately drawn to piano) has written songs that melt away the anxieties and uncertainties of daily life.
Slightly bouncy in a nod to the old-school head (perhaps borrowing some DNA from “Satin Doll”), Taubenhouse’s “Introspection” is generous and breezy, growing stronger in the second half until releasing a big sigh to wrap things up. “Pigeon House Blues” (cover your pate!) has the energy of an abundance of pigeons that inhabit his hometown of New York City. One can imagine the grey/sometimes white birds skittering, hopping on sidewalks, resting on city benches. The instrumentation is particularly phenomenal in this track as if the three are one. And even if you’ve heard “Brother Can You Spare A Dime?” enough to last a lifetime, it’s still amazing to listen to a really tight ensemble like this pull it off honoring its heirloom personality while adding a special sizzle that brings it into the present day."
Debbie Burke -Jazz Author
https://debbieburkeauthor.com
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"It's a piano trio set but it does a great job of veering away from cocktail jazz even when the crew is working out on chestnuts. Smart stuff with a leading edge throughout, this is a cat that doesn't want to be relegated to the background and makes every effort to make his presence known. The kind of stuff that easily stands out, this is for those muso ears that really want to get into the music. Well done."
Chris Spector (January 15, 2019)
http://midwestrecord.com
