Soundtrack to Human Motion
This 20-something, Houston-born pianist emerged on the jazz scene with his brilliant work on alto-soprano saxophonistGreg Osby's recordingsZeroandBanned in New York. With this debut, Moran is joined by Osby, vibraphonistStefon Harris, bassist Lonnie Plaxico, and drummer Eric Harland. What makes Moran stand out from his peers is the influence of the great pianistAndrew Hill, whose complex and elliptical pianisms effortlessly straddle the boundaries of mainstream and avant-garde styles. Moran adopts and updates Hill's musical conception well, as evidenced by the snaky melodic lines of "Gangsterism on Canvas," "Snake Stance," and "Kinetics." "Retrograde" constructs and deconstructs a 4/4 groove, and "Aquanaut" pulses with Moran's cascading harmonic waves that give it the déjà-vu vibe ofOrnette Coleman's "Lonely Woman." "JAMO Meets SAMO" is a quirky, aural take on the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat, while the highlight of the CD is "Le Tombeau de Couperin/States of Art," a heartfelt reading of Maurice Ravel's French impressionist classic that segues into Moran's own equally impressive, trio-formatted composition.--Eugene Holley Jr.