jazz2love

Album:  Coming Down Roses Artist:  Billy Test Trio Label:  ATM Records is proud to present Website:  billytest.com Debuting as a bandleader, pianist Billy Test releases Coming Down Roses with his trio, comprising of Evan Gregor on bass and Ian Froman on drums.  The album title is a play on the colloquial phrase, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” reflecting life when everything is going along a positive route.  However, when life is not, one can assume the roses are falling as people are trying to catch them.  Test puts this image in people's heads, serving as a recurring theme throughout the recording as the course of the music moves in the direction of grasping at joy.  Clad with several original numbers written by Test that are dabbled with reimagined tunes, the trio produce a lulling effect on the listener's senses, interspersed with moments of frenzy.   The schematics of the playlist keeps listeners aware of the interplay among the tr...

Album:  Scarab Artist:  Wayne Alpern Label:  Henri Elkan Music Website:  https://www.waynealpern.com                 https://www.billytest.com Arranger/composer Wayne Alpern reimagines a selection of Beatles tunes with pianist Billy Test on his latest release Scarab from Henri Elkan Music.  The emotion Test puts into melodies like "Eleanor Rigby" and "Hide Your Love Away" allows audiences to hear something new, something more intriguing about the compositions.  His inherent sense of melodic versing is magical, choreographing seamless dances with the piano keys.  His improvised twists and imaginative tweaks enhance the natural lyricism in the melodies, emphasizing poignant moments along the chord progressions that make the listener stop and take notice. Alpern's interpretation of "Yesterday" projects passion laden with a fiery urgency that's comparable to one of Beethoven's momen...