Today’s quiz: Name a composer/pianist who grasps traditional Classical long forms well, loves his Uncle Bill (Evans that is), knows Copland like the back of his hand, and demonstrates time and again that the propulsive rhythms of Prokofiev are one and the same with Latin Salsa. The answer is Jeffrey Chappell, whose two sonatas surely will satisfy pianists seeking inventive and well-crafted “written-out jazz” that challenges the fingers without demanding the impossible in the manner of, say, Nikolai Kapustin. The brief three-movement Piano Trio captures Keith Jarrett’s minimalist funk and ersatz Stephen Foster tune spinning in thumbnail-sketch form, while the six Pop Songs Without Words suggest early-’70s Elton John or late-’60s TV themes with added substance. Chappell plays Chappell with all the virtuosity, conviction, and innate sense of swing these works demand. Very enjoyable stuff.
