The long awaited new CD from the celebrated Joe Chindamo Trio is at last available. For his latest project, Joe Chindamo, acclaimed as Australia's best jazz pianist, has turned his attention to the music of Paul Simon. And, as with his intepretations of jazz standards and popular songs, his approach is to create unique and refreshing arrangements of familiar material - to recast them whilst remaining true to the spirit of the original work. The result is stunning!
"America!" is a swinging, passionate, insightful, unforgettably tuneful and totally hip collection of interpretations of Paul Simon songs. The CD will appeal to lovers of the jazz piano trio and fans of Paul Simon alike - and is sure to have broad appeal. Previous releases from Joe Chindamo, the Trio's "The Joy of Standards" and an album of duets with the singer Nina Ferro, "Tender is the Night" have received critical acclaim both at home and internationally, and have been among the best selling Australian jazz albums of recent times. "Most of the tunes are extensively examined. In lesser hands they might not have been worth the treatment but Chindamo has the harmonic sense and great time that enables him to imbue them with a fresh vitality. In fact, this disc is a reminder of just how good some of Simon's songs are. As for Chindamo, he continues to raise the bar of excellence with each new disc."****1/2 Kevin Jones, The Australian.
"Joe Chindamo is an extraordinarily gifted artist. Joe's music is a combination of technical mastery with an artistic flair to rival the likes of Bill Evans. So, it's not surprising that his arrangements of these songs by Paul Simon are beautiful, passionate and intelligent." Vicki Horne, Music Journalist.
He is quite exceptional...he has that Bill Evans knack for bringing unlikely material into his own orbit. Michael Cuscuna, Producer. "Joe Chindamo stands strong for the music in his own unique way. Personality projected through the music is an important factor in determining the �uniqueness' of an artist. Joe is unique and special as his music reflects. He therefore stands alone in many positive ways." Billy Cobham.
"Brilliant Melbourne pianist Joe Chindamo maintains the pace set by his previous album 'The Joy of Standards'...and again he graces the music with his utterly distinctive style...Simon's songs, not normally considered jazz fare, prove superbly adaptable, and Chindamo is not afraid to use the most familiar of Simon's compositions. That's a big part of the album's success." ***1/2 Kenny Weir, Sunday Herald Sun.