In the '90s and 2000s,
Uri Caine
has acknowledged a wide variety of
classical
composers--everyone from
Johann Sebastian Bach
to
Robert Schumann
. And the Philadelphia-born pianist has acknowledged them on his terms;
Caine
's
jazz
/
hybrids have been about interpretation, not emulation. That approach has never endeared him to
hardliners, who believe that musicians should play exactly what the masters wrote and not do any interpreting or improvising.
, thankfully, doesn't feel that way, which is why
Diabelli Variations
is an interesting as it is. Recorded in Cologne, Germany in 2002, this CD finds
putting his spin on the compositions of
Ludwig van Beethoven
.
is less daring and more straight-forward than some of
's other releases; none of his arrangements on this album sound like iconoclasm for the sake of iconoclasm. Nonetheless, the pianist does his share of improvising and brings his usual appreciation of
to the table--and when he improvises, there are subtle hints of everyone from
James P. Johnson
McCoy Tyner
. Some
fans might focus on
's orchestral backing and conclude that
is really more
Euro-classical
than
--that what
does on this CD (unlike some of his other releases) is basically
European classical
music with
overtones. Even so, the
elements are noticeable enough to offend
purists, who would argue that
Beethoven
's work isn't open to interpretation--period. But then,
doesn't cater to
purists any more than he caters to
purists.
is strictly for broad-minded listeners who have no problem with the
and
worlds interacting. ~ Alex Henderson