STAINED GLASS AND TECHNICOLOR GROOVES

This recording captures the first annual “Jazz at the GRJC” concert … the fulfillment of my goal to bring a New York City jazz club experience to my hometown of Glen Rock, NJ. To do this, I reached out to one of the best pianists in the jazz scene, Misha Piatigorsky. Misha and I met many years ago and this concert was the perfect time to collaborate. Having been immersed in Misha’s original compositions and arrangements, I knew exactly which songs to perform.

to round out the trio…

…I called my long-time friend, bassist Charlie Dougherty, and as a special guest, enlisted my brother, Jeremy Fishman, on alto sax.

THERE IS MAGIC…

…embedded in this recording, fueled by the spark of spontaneity that can only be achieved in a live performance.

THIS IS THE BEAUTY OF JAZZ…

…capturing a moment in time and creating a musical conversation that may never happen again in the same way.

PIANO: Misha Piatigorsky
BASS: Charlie Dougherty
DRUMS: Sam Fishman
SAX & PERCUSSION: Jeremy Fishman

PRODUCED BY: Sam Fishman
RECORDED & MIXED BY: Joe Branciforte
ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS BY: Misha Piatigorsky
ALBUM ART BY: Shirina Yusupov
PIANO PROVIDED BY: Steinway & Sons

This album was the brainchild of drummer Sam Fishman, its aim to introduce provincial audiences to the feel of a New York jazz club. Piatigorsky, having performed at nearly all the jazz venues in the Big Apple, was a natural choice as leader.

All About Jazz

With Fishman’s brushes, the trio is sleek on “Moten Swing” with a clever latin touch by Piatigorsky on “Pure Imagination. The team is delicate on “Superhero” and is rich during “Where’s the Sun?”

Jazz Weekly

All I can say at this point is – WOW… usually, you glance at liner notes and move right on past them, but in this case, the “sparks of spontaneity” they speak of are real, and you’ll “catch their fire” by the 8th bar of “Where’s The Sun?“, a splendid original composition by Misha… strong elements of blues in Misha’s piano, then right after the two-minute mark, the whole group takes you soaring into jazz Nirvana… I loved this song… it will be spinning often on my player, to be sure.

Contemporary Fusion Reviews

Piatigorsky offers an elegiac introduction, which is changed to an ethereal piano/bass duet, and then Fishman enters on the drums as the piece gradually picks up steam and starts to swing. There’s a bit of Middle Eastern tinge which tinkles in, but generally “Nachalot” is clear-cut jazz and a showcase for how well the trio communicates on stage. The threesome escalates the energy level again on the upbeat and modernist “Superhero,” also a live favorite: CD listeners can even hear someone yell, “Whoo!” at the beginning.

AudAud

By the time the song is halfway through, the rhythms have quickened, but are still listeners can still dance to it. There is a swing and a spirit of fun and exploration as the players weave in and out of the original idea of the composition and back into the pure spirit of jazz. Toward the end, the song is fast whisper of piano and drum until it fades out, leaving listeners wondering how did such a song occur?

LemonWire