Many European pianists take an approach different from that of American jazz, and create elegant, lyrical beauty as their performance develops. Just as the blues was the background of American music, Europe has a long tradition of classical music, and many pianists have studied the fundamentals of classical music thoroughly, which may be the reason for this difference in expression. Let’s listen to the albums of three such European pianists, all released on analog LPs in recent years.

#226 Elegant Sounds Reminiscent of Classical Music

Torre del Lago / Roberto Olzer
(Jazz Shinsekai JSLP-4004)

This is a solo album by Roberto Olzer, whose rich, poetic sound of the piano attracts listeners. Born in the northern Italian city of Domodossola, Olzer studied classical piano from a young age and went on to study organ at the Milan Conservatory. He also studied under Enrico Pieranunzi to work his way up to a jazz pianist. As if to demonstrate Olzer’s such a career, his performance here has elegant tastes reminiscent of classical music. Many of his albums are performed by trios or combos, but with his solo performance here, I think the beauty of his pianism is expressed in its purest form.

With the first track, ＜Luiza,＞ written by Antonio Carlos Jobim for his daughter, I was immediately drawn to its clear sound. Olzer plays the piano in an unobtrusive manner, letting the melodies lead his whole performance. The fact that he is Italian is probably a reason why we feel warm-hearted, poetic sentiments in his interpretations. What is also noteworthy is that the album includes four pieces by Giacomo Puccini, a great Italian opera composer of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Come to think of it, the album title “Torre del Lago” is the name of a beautiful town in Tuscany. It is known as a place where Puccini lived, and the “Puccini Festival” is held every year in this historic town. The album includes famous pieces such as ＜Mi chiamano Mimi＞ and ＜Sono andati ?＞ from “La Boheme,” and ones from ＜Suor Angelica＞ and ＜Madame Butterfly.＞ Olzer plays these pieces freely as if he were in a romantic world, and it is impressive that Olzer’s interpretations are as natural as his original compositions. The recording engineer was Stefano Amerio, who has created excellent recordings that clearly convey Olzer’s thoughts on the melodies.

#227 Beautiful Album by Arnold Klos, Filled with a Deep Affection for Evans

APPRECIATIONS / Arnold Klos Trio
(Jazz Shinsekai JSLP-4003)

In my view, the Netherlands particularly has a large number of pianists of stylish and good tastes among European countries. Many players exude graceful and elegant atmospheres unique to Europe, not to mention Pim Jacobs, Louis Van Dijk, and Jos Van Beest. One thing that all three of the artists mentioned above have in common is that the piano sounds as if it holds hidden thoughts or feelings.

And Arnold Klos is one such pianist. Klos was so impressed when he happened to listen to Bill Evans’ performance one day that he decided to become a pianist. The shadow of Evans is often visible in Klos’s playing, but his interpretations are by no means copies of Evans but are expressed through the sensibilities of a Dutch pianist, for which we should say wonderful. The title of the album, “Appreciations,” must also reflect his gratitude for Evans’ music. This album is one of Klos’s old recordings, originally released on CD in 1988, but was released in the form of an analog LP this summer. ＜Nardis＞ and ＜Come Rain or Come Shine＞ are numbers also known for Evans’ performance. One of the outstanding aspects of the Euro piano is that the beautiful performances unfold the rich lyricism and give us very personal and warm feelings.