Dave Frank: You Stepped Out of a Dream
Recorded: New York, April 2007 and May 2008
Rating: 89/100 (learn more)
When I first heard Sarah Vaughan sing this Gus Kahn & Herb Brown song, it immediately became one of my favorite renditions of the standard. Later I was exposed to the idiosyncratic texturing of the same tune by the inimitable Anthony Braxton, and despite the vastly different approach I was equally hooked. Like all great vehicles of expression, this song can be used to great effect in many different ways.
Now comes a version by pianist Dave Frank that gives us a whole new take. He starts off with his relentlessly walking left-hand variations, slowly introducing the melody with imaginative musings on his wildly frenetic right hand. Frank clearly demonstrates the influence of his one-time teacher Lennie Tristano as he plays with an inventive, machinegun-like technique. After a carefully placed break, he employs a completely different left-handed approach that plays contrapuntally to the masterfully fluid improvisations of his blindingly quick right hand. With this offering, Dave Frank has created a rendition of this timeless song that will remain a member of my select elite.
Reviewer: Ralph A. Miriello
Tags: 2000s jazz · solo piano · you stepped out of a dream
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