New Haven’s Firehouse 12 will kickoff its fourth annual Fall Jazz Series on Friday, September 19th with a two set performance by the Steve Lantner Trio. Led by Boston-based pianist/composer Steve Lantner, the longstanding group features New Haven native Joe Morris on bass and fellow Bostonian Luther Gray (Rob Brown, Taylor Ho Bynum, Joe Morris) on drums. Its third CD, What You Can Throw (hatOLOGY 641), which includes reworkings of music by Anthony Braxton and Ornette Coleman as well as original material, was released earlier this year.
“Seamlessly integrating divergent threads of musical history into a singular style, Boston-based pianist Steve Lantner has established himself as an artist to watch,” wrote AllAboutJazz.com’s Troy Collins. “Transcending typical notions of soloist and accompanist, the trio engages in three-way conversations that veer from dark, uncertain lyricism to bursts of hyperactive turbulence. A fluidly organic interpretation of a classic tradition, What You Can Throw offers an expansive view of the current possibilities of the contemporary jazz piano trio.”
Critics have called Lantner “a tremendous piano player” (Chris Kelsey, JazzTimes), “one of the premier improvisers within the progressive-jazz realm” (Glenn Astarita, JazzReview.com) and “a genuinely original voice” (Duncan Heining, Jazzwise). Bagatellen’s Derek Taylor adds, “Lantner doesn’t so much break the mold as recognize its malleable possibilities and shape it with his own catalytic perspective.” In addition to his trio, which also recorded as a quartet with saxophonist Allen Chase, he has worked with such renowned improvisers as Fred Anderson, Joe Giardullo, Joe Maneri, Mat Maneri and Ken Vandermark.
2008 Fall Jazz Series Schedule:
09/19: Steve Lantner Trio
09/26: Conference Call
10/03: Ned Rothenberg’s Sync
10/10: Shakers n’ Bakers
10/17: Josh Roseman’s Execution Quintet
10/24: Bad Touch
10/31: Magic (Joe McPhee/Dominic Duval/Jay Rosen/Mikolaj Trzaska)
11/07: George Schuller’s Circle Wide
11/14: Jamie Baum Septet
11/21: Taylor Ho Bynum & SpiderMonkey Strings
12/05: The Flatlands Collective
12/12: Donny McCaslin Trio
Tickets and more information available at:
http://firehouse12.com/performance_space_calendar.asp