RUFUS REID AND CAELAN CARDELLO

Rufus Reid Presents Caelan Cardello

Liam Records ARF-1 (180 Gram LP). 2023. Michael Fremer, Robin Wyatt, exec. prods.; Duke Markos, eng. PERFORMANCE

SONICS

The jazz piano world is filled with contenders these days, and Caelan Cardello is a name to watch.

This relaxed set, a duo with veteran bassist Rufus Reid, was impeccably recorded at 24/96 resolution at the small venue inside New York City’s Klavierhaus, a piano restoration specialist business. The recording is unadulterated; according to the liner notes, engineer Markos only did “a bit of EQ and image placement tweaks” to the original digital files, with input from the great Joe Harley, who ably helms Blue Note’s Tone Poet series. The lacquers were cut by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, and the LPs were pressed at QRP.

The recording has a vital presence and a warm, appealing sound thanks in part to the now-retired Bob Ludwig, who chose this as one of his final projects to master for vinyl.

Reid is steady throughout, leaving lots of room for Cardello. As a player, Cardello is still young, yet to fully form. He is at his best here in a version of Cedar Walton’s “Bolivia,” where an upbeat Brazilian rhythm spurs him to scamper across the keys, at one point dropping in a quote from “The Girl From Ipanema.” Also lively is a reading of Benny Golson’s “Stablemates.”

So far, Cardello is a pleasant, nostalgic pianist well-versed in jazz history. His choices could be more imaginative. His ideas do not explore much new ground. But then he is just starting out. The complexity will come.

One obvious drawback to this session, for me at least, is the lack of a drummer, the presence of which would have changed the dynamic. Tempos are much the same throughout. Reid is not a driver here; he stays in the background, allowing the pacing to linger.

A promising start to be sure, this beautiful-sounding set hints at an intriguing future for a talented player