Kelly Green - Seems
(Green Soul Studios and la reserve, 2024)
Pianist/composer/vocalist Kelly Green and her trio/quartet have enjoyed a residency at New York City’s Flatiron Room (37 West 26th Street, New York City) for five years. That is an accomplishment worth crowing about. She has navigated a well-paced career over the past eight years, resulting in four recordings, the most recent being the socially relevant Seems. As an artist, Green is comparable to Dena DeRose. Both are accomplished pianists and vocalists who perform with impressive authority and command. They differ in age and experience and these differences highlight those characteristics for listeners to appreciate in each artist.
Green’s band consists of bassist Luca Soul Rosenfeld, drummer Evan Hyde, and flutist Elijah J. Thomas, whose presence adds a softness to Green’s carefully rounded edges. This band has the same well-honed execution of Fred Hersche’s ‘90s trios. Their performances are sharp, precise, and swinging.
Kelly Green has a fresh-scrubbed, wholesome sound that rings perfectly in her performance of “Moonlight Savings Time” the most arresting and best-conceived vocal selection. She and the band are having fun playing the changes to the song’s coda. Among the instrumentals, Green’s original “Down The Road” demonstrates the composer’s secure acumen with multiple mood and time changes arranged for maximum effect for the listener. The same can be said for “Rich’s Stitches” which features tenor saxophonist Rich Perry (in fact having been composed for him by Green). Music like this is encouraging and affirming. I hope to hear more of it.