Michel Petrucciani: ‘Power of Three,’ 1986

The pianist is joined by Jim Hall and Wayne Shorter

The first time I saw French pianist Michel Petrucciani (1962-1999) was in 1985, when I was at Barry Harris’s Jazz Cultural Theater (1982–1987), on Eighth Ave. between 28th and 29th Streets. I knew nothing about Michel, but the struggle he underwent to get up on the piano bench was both shocking and poetic.

Once perched on a phone book or a heavy pillow (I can’t recall), the visual made me think his inclusion that night with a formidable lineup of leading jazz pianists sitting in for a few numbers was either a novelty or a cruel favor being repaid.

Then Michel started playing. The quality of his music was indisputable. I later learned he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, left him topping out at 3 feet and very little neck. Despite his condition and the pain he must have endured, not to mention overcoming shyness and developing his skill and self-confidence, he clearly was a highly accomplished player. [Photo above of Michel Petrucianni]

That night, Michel had achieved the impossible. He couldn’t compete on height but he was on par with or surpassed the talents of other leading keyboardists.

One of his finest live recordings is a performance he gave at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1986. There, he played four duets with guitarist Jim Hall and three with Wayne Shorter joining him and Jim.

Now, this elegant concert has been reissued as part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet series—a single LP cut directly from the original analog tapes, mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. The sound is much more distinct than the original while the fidelity is deeper and warmer.

The music is both gentle and invigorating, as you will hear from the audience’s unrestrained reaction following solos. Much of the recording can be compared to Hall’s two duet albums with Bill Evans—Undercurrent (1962) and Intermodulation (1966). The same level of care and freedom are at play here. Only Jim could pull off the jagged lines, rich texture and swing on his guitar to fill the space.

Remember, Jim also had to take the place of a bassist and drummer, keeping time and tempo while soloing and accompanying Michel. The tracks with Shorter dovetail neatly with Michel’s graceful and busy style.

The LP tracks:

Side 1

1. Limbo (Wayne Shorter)

2. Careful (Jim Hall)

3. Morning Blues (Michel Petrucciani)

Side 2

4. In A Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington)

5. Bimini (Jim Hall)

Note: Wayne plays tenor saxophone on tracks 1 and 5, and soprano saxophone on track 3.

What you’ll notice is the exceptionalism of these three jazz artists who were considered among the finest and most inventive players on their instruments.

The only drawback is that Waltz New (Jim Hall) and Beautiful Love (King, Young, Alstyne, Gillespie), both performed at the concert and included on the CD reissue in 1987, did not fit on the new vinyl release, which adheres strictly to the original release.

To buy Michel Petrucciani: Power of Three (Blue Note Tone Poet) go here.

Here’s Limbo, with Michel, Jim and Wayne…

Bonus: Here’s a video of their entire Montreux Jazz Festival performance…