Stained Glass

From the freestyle sparkle of Sunny Rays to the tightly patterned swing of The Party’s Over, Stained Glass reflects a wide spectrum of jazz colours. The album opens with a light-hearted caprice, glistening with bright, glassy tones that conjure up the play of sunlight at the edges of freshly-contoured glass. Hues deepen... (more)

From the freestyle sparkle of Sunny Rays to the tightly patterned swing of The Party’s Over, Stained Glass reflects a wide spectrum of jazz colours. The album opens with a light-hearted caprice, glistening with bright, glassy tones that conjure up the play of sunlight at the edges of freshly-contoured glass. Hues deepen in Elsa, the Earl Zindars tune which Bill Evans elevated to jazz standard status. Initiated with a crystalline, Satie-like intro, the song soon liquefies into a wistful swing. The trio moves into straight-ahead swing on Richard Rogers' show-tune With a Song in My Heart, with fine soloing featured all round as eights and fours get traded. Up next is a languorous rendition of Billy Strayhorn's Day Dream, tinted with smoky brush-work, followed by a bluesy, minor-key original entitled Kathy’s Waltz. Yo, Bro, another original, returns us to a sunnier palette of primary colours and rhythms. The ‘Rose Window’ of the album, Theme for Margret, is a song full of complex hues, modulating between mournful and contemplative, and resolving towards a gospel-laced hint of spiritual grace. Then along comes the playful Zack in the Box, a funky original with a mock-stealthy, Mancini-meets-Horace Silver theme. Sweet Lorraine finds the trio swinging hard once again, and the disc closes with The Party's Over, another solidly swinging standard. Stained Glass is an apt title for this collection of tunes; melodic lines are delivered with glassy clarity and chords come shimmering through with intarsiated precision. It is also an album that leaves lots of room for the listener to explore perspectives and to evolve personal interpretations. So sit back and explore how your own moods filter through the many jazz facets of Stained Glass.

-- Eric Squire

Hi music fans. I want to mention that we posted a few songs on a new music site where songs are judged by YOU and other music fans. We have made it again to the Quarterfinals in the JVC Jazz Fest category again this month.

Vote for the Geoff Lapp Trio and send them to the JVC JAZZ FEST!

The prize is a gig at the JVC Jazz Festival in Newport. We have been in the Top 10 on the CHART since early April and would love to land the gig. We have dates open in late August …so why not. If you are up to it, and like the songs…feel free to vote!

You have to sign in and the voting is random to make it fair…the most important time is the end of each month till August.

In the quarter finals you will judge 19 other songs that made it to the quarterfinals (out of 294 entries for JVC category). Judging continues until May 29 and then the highest rated 2 songs go to the finals for 1 day of judging.

You Be The Judge! and maybe help Zack In The Box make it to the top!

Here is how to vote:

(i) Log on to Ourstage.com

(ii) REGISTER:then head over to JUDGE and cast your vote at this genre: JVC Jazz Festival Newport. Its on the bottom left

(iii) You never know when the tunes will come around, so please be patient as you wait for the chance to vote….the most important voting dates are the end of each month till August when the contest is finished.

Thanks for any voting you can do!

Geoff Lapp and the guys