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Martial SolalLive At The Village VanguardCAM 5030AAA 1 /2If anyone still had any doubts aboutpianist Martial Solal’s abilities, thisdazzling solo set will erase them inno time. When this recording wasmade he had just turned 80, but hisfingers are as nimble as ever and hismind is still impressively sharp. Moreover, he amazes without being bombasticor relying heavily on pyrotechnics.Among the standards he tackles, “’Round Midnight” is a favorite ofhis. His unique reading shows what an inexhaustible well of possibilitiesthis piece offers. With “On Green Dolphin Street,” Solal gives a condensedjazz history lesson as he seamlessly weaves a musical patchwork.Solal is indeed a master at dislocating the material at hand, sometimesmaking it hardly recognizable, and at shifting tempos abruptly and effortlessly.And don’t forget his trademark humor.To round out a program of standards, the French pianist includes a coupleof originals. “Centre De Gravité” gives him the opportunity to explorethe deepest tonalities of his instrument, sounding almost cavernous. TheThelonious Monk-ish “Ramage,” on the other hand, lends itself to thetwists and turns Solal uses throughout the program and lands in a mostunexpected spot, a nursery rhyme of his own creation. —Alain DrouotLive At The Village Vanguard: Intro 1; On Green Dolphin Street; Lover Man; I Can’t Give YouAnything But Love; Centre De Gravité; Ramage; ’Round Midnight; Have You Met Miss Jones;The Last Time I Saw Paris; Intro 2; Corcovado. (49:27)Personnel: Martial Solal, piano.»Ordering info: camjazz.comThe DorfThe DorfLEO 523AA 1 /2A progressive big band can’t existwithout some form of underwriting.There’s not enough of an audienceto support a large group of playersusing the format as something morethan an exercise in nostalgia.Saxophonist Jan Klare deserves praise for forming and maintaining theDorf since November 2006, when it started monthly concerts at a jazz clubin Dortmund, Germany. He’s recruited a pool of around 30 musicians, andbetween 15–25 come together once a month to spend the day rehearsing,developing new pieces by the leader and giving an evening concert.Unfortunately, based on the group’s debut recording, the once-a-monthgatherings have yet to yield compelling repertoire. Beyond the band’simpressive firepower, too many of the pieces draw on the bombast of rockand ’70s fusion. “Blast” captures the high-speed exhilaration of heavymetal, with the horns adeptly aping chugging guitar riffs, but the effectfalls limp when the screaming electric guitar solo kicks in. “Miniatures”finds Klare leading the group through a fast-moving shuffle where theensemble’s skill with collective improvisation shines, while “Torn” hassmall groupings of players interacting on a high level. But too much of thealbum favors a monolithic attack, and when the ’80s-sounding synthesizerskick in, it’s too much to bear.—Peter MargasakThe Dorf: Overture; Blast; Film; Technoid; Miniatures; Torn; Licht. (52:00)Personnel: Jan Clare, composer; the Dorf, orchestra.»Ordering info: leorecords.comAugust 2009 DOWNBEAT 55