Sullivan solo shines

Sullivan Fortner’s solo piano album is soulful and comes highly recommended by his influential mentors.

Sullivan Fortner – Solo Game (Artwork, 2023)

Sullivan Fortner takes a jazz standard like “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” and transforms it into a prelude full of beautiful tones and harmonies reminiscent of Debussy or Ravel. 

I have been aware of Sullivan Fortner as a great pianist for some time now. I have heard him with the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and his beautiful duo performances with singer Cecile McLorin Salvant. So, it should come as no surprise to me how good this solo piano album is. Still, it is.

Left on his own Fortner surprises me repeatedly with his original ideas, as when he uses a dissonance which reminds of Kurt Weill on Randy Weston’s “Congolese Children.” Every song gets a similar original treatment that makes me stop in my tracks and hear them anew, which is rare, especially for music this well-known.

Humorous electronics

It is also very tasteful and elegant. I am not sure about Fortner’s influences but I hear some Ahmad Jamal, another elegant and dynamic pianist. That his influences are less obvious is another sign of his originality. He has lots of technique which he uses to ornament the melodies which can almost remind of Art Tatum or Jaki Byard played the piano, still he is more impressionistic than baroque and are more apt to explore tone colors than fast runs.

His interest in sonic effects becomes even more apparent on the second half of the album where he plays prepared piano, organ, and different electronic keyboards. Those performances shows his width as an artist, his will to explore, and sometimes they are humorous, but to be honest he is such a great pianist that I rather hear him on that instrument. Luckily, I can choose for myself on this album.

You do not have to take my word for how great Fortner is. Fred Hersch and Jason Moran who has been his mentor and teacher raves about him in the liner notes. You know how great they are and what it means when they say that someone else is as good.