Album lore

Harold Danko’s 2017 album Triple Play, issued by SteepleChase, assembles nine pieces that navigate jazz’s bebop and hard bop traditions while touching upon freer improvisational modes. Danko’s piano anchors the ensemble’s interplay with a measured lyricism, as on “Shallow Waters,” where his nuanced touch balances melodic clarity with harmonic depth. The album’s titles—such as “Total Obsession” and “Stream of Tears”—suggest an introspective mood, yet the performances retain a propulsive swing and responsive dynamism.Recorded late in Danko’s career, Triple Play offers a reflective yet vital document of a seasoned pianist conversant with jazz’s layered lineage. The session exemplifies SteepleChase’s commitment to capturing artists who operate within and beyond established jazz idioms, preserving the resonance of live interplay in a studio setting. For those who collect piano-led jazz that bridges bebop’s structure with freer impulses, this artifact warrants repeated listening.

Album lore

Harold Danko’s 2017 album Triple Play, issued by SteepleChase, assembles nine pieces that navigate jazz’s bebop and hard bop traditions while touching upon freer improvisational modes. Danko’s piano anchors the ensemble’s interplay with a measured lyricism, as on “Shallow Waters,” where his nuanced touch balances melodic clarity with harmonic depth. The album’s titles—such as “Total Obsession” and “Stream of Tears”—suggest an introspective mood, yet the performances retain a propulsive swing and responsive dynamism.Recorded late in Danko’s career, Triple Play offers a reflective yet vital document of a seasoned pianist conversant with jazz’s layered lineage. The session exemplifies SteepleChase’s commitment to capturing artists who operate within and beyond established jazz idioms, preserving the resonance of live interplay in a studio setting. For those who collect piano-led jazz that bridges bebop’s structure with freer impulses, this artifact warrants repeated listening.