Lyricism is the pervasive theme on pianist Peter Schwendener’s Kickstand, a record inspired by his musical heroes. For this, he has assembled a quintet that includes trumpeter Art Davis whose Clifford Brown influenced style sways to the playful rhythms of “Shall We Dance.” The standard also features an adventurous and advanced piano improvisation that surprisingly meshes well with its more traditional small group swing feel.

Davis’s lilting, singing trumpet is also showcased on “Azure te (Paris Blues),” contrasting well with the leader’s deep and resonant piano lines that melt into Dan Delorenzo’s bass. Delorenzo opens Oscar Pettiford’s “Tricotism” with a creative solo. Although popularized by tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson, Davis is the featured horn on the tune and his reconstruction of the melody brings in a fresh perspective.

Schwendener’s classical roots are apparent throughout, but are heard best on the bluesy sonata that makes up half of “Please Send Me Someone to Love?” before Delorenzo and drummer George Fludas join in, offering rhythmic support and creating an interesting echoing effect. The Randy Newman song, “I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today,” taken at faster tempo by the trio, features the rock and folk music side of Schwendener’s pianism.

The other member of the quintet is Bill Overton, whose thick and brassy tenor saxophone on “My Little Brown Book” lingers on each reverberating note in stark contrast to the sparsely played piano, where sound and silence alternate to create the melancholic mood. The centerpiece of the disc consists of two originals dedicated to Schwendener’s wife and daughter: the title track has distinct hard bop influences, with a loosely swinging piano and Overton’s gutsy saxophone complementing Davis’s lyrical trumpet. Both on “Kickstand” and the slightly more angular “Trundletown” Schwendener excels as both a composer and improviser.

The album closes with “Jump for Joy,” an arrangement that fuses an Ellingtonian elegance with a Ben Webster-like earthiness maintaining its jubilant spirit while improvising on the original song’s structure. Peter Schwendener’s freshman recording is a solid work that does justice to the legacy of the musicians who influenced him.

By: Hrayr Attarian