Live At Blue Llama
SteepleChase, 2026
8/10
The inimitable pianist David Janeway is joined by Robert Hurst and Billy Hart for these 10 tracks from the Blue Llama in Ann Arbor on June 15, 2024.
“All The Things You Are” opens with Janeway’s fluid keys before the animated rhythm section enters and the pace picks up, and “A Child Is Born” follows with a distinct intimacy via the elegant piano that welcomes Hart’s frisky drums.
“Gardenia” arrives at the midpoint and makes great use of Hurst’s lively bass in a cautious climate, while “K’s Shuffle” will get you seeking out the dance floor with its upbeat interaction between the trio.
Close to the end, “I Should Care” illustrates Janeway’s colorful keys amid the crisp drums and bouncy bass, and “Search For Peace/Blues On The Corner” exits with beauty, grace and timeless jazz ideas in the McCoy Tyner original.
This is Janeway’s 3rd effort with this lineup, and like the ones before it, it’s a harmonic, flexible and expressive set that puts a fresh coat of paint on classics and presents a pair of excellent originals.
Travels well with: David Janeway- Distant Voices; Leigh Pilzer- Keep Holding On