And Far Away

by Ken DrydenThis Kenny Drew session from 1983 takes the pianist out of familiar hard bop territory, as he plays with guitarist Philip Catherine, bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and drummer Barry Altschul. "And Far Away" gradually develops a bluesy air, though when it begins one can clearly hear the Scandinavian influence on the leader in this composition, no doubt from his decades of living in Europe. Catherine's brittle guitar is the centerpiece of his ballad "Rianne." The pianist's reflective "Serenity" has a bittersweet air, as if recalling a lost love. As the quartet begins the standard "I Love You," the shape of the session takes a dramatic shift toward a more conventional bop sound, though it is only temporary as Catherine's haunting "Twice a Week" makes its entrance, highlighted by Pedersen's mournful arco bass. The driving, boppish take of "Autumn Leaves" and Drew's Oscar Pettiford-like "Blues Run" close out this enjoyable session.