John Ziegler
KUMD Program and Music Director
"The music on 'Tuscarora: Short Stories for Jazz Piano' comes from an hour-long session 'live' from the KUMD (www.kumd.org) music room in Duluth. I recall meeting Larry McDonough on a bright, spring Friday afternoon. I'd just finished saying 'goodbyes' to Martin Zellar and his band who'd just rocked during their 'live' set. Larry was calm, poised, and very pleasant as we set up and chatted just a bit. I had listened fairly intently to both to his solo piano release 'Small Steps' and the demo for his five-piece group Off Beat titled 'Live, Cooking at the Dakota' when we received them, and thought I had a good grasp of his style of piano playing. But, I really didn't get the full impact of Larry's beautiful command until I was sitting right across from him in a small studio. Contemplative, but with a certain intensity that kept my ears perked. Larry's touch and choice of harmonies reminds me of standing outside on a clear, cold night and looking up at the stars.
I like the sense that Larry doesn't erect walls between musical genres. This isn't a purist's notion of piano jazz. In fact, one of his most interesting recent discoveries came from listening to a Sting album. The new age piano style of George Winston comes thru as much as that of Bill Evans. The music contained herein, isn't always comfortable either. Dissonances and tensions fill the air, sometimes with very delayed resolutions. This adds a drama to what might otherwise be very bland soul-less solo piano.
'Tuscarora' reflects not only a pristine Boundary Waters lake with its natural beauty, but also Larry's appreciation for gorgeous harmonies with melodies that ripple over the top. The last two bars of the theme reflect 'Blue In Green' and fit the mood perfectly.
Altering existing compositions has long been a staple of the jazz performing community. Larry takes it to a new level by looking beyond melody and harmony...to the rhythmic underpinnings. Altering the time signatures of Amazing Grace from 4/4 to 5/4 and changing the tonal center to the relative minor makes a traditional tune come alive and even causes the lyric content to become fresh as well. It really becomes an entirely new tune here, with the redemption coming thru as beautifully as a rainbow after a heavy storm.
Alternating solos from right to left hands and back again, provides unexpected flow to his improvisations. On 'All Blues', the back and forth between hands is a bit a of clinic on how a soloist can expand on the typical building blocks and become really advanced.
'My Favorite Things' becomes more majestic in a new time signature. Larry's left hand provides some counterpoint to his right hands's angular chords and linear ideas.
Larry has done some singing (starting back in his garage band days covering Grand Funk and Emerson Lake & Palmer) and shares his talents on 'We Shall Overcome'. I think artists who are players first, vocalists second (re: Chet Baker) have a certain advantage in that they're thinking about tone and phrasing in a way that singers only, just can't.
As an uplifting version of 'The Star Spangled Banner' brought our hour to a close, I remember thinking what a pleasure it was to hear Larry McDonough play and to have him as a guest. Enjoy this wonderful collection of his work, look for his two previous recordings and catch him on one of his various gigs around the area. He's an outstanding artist and a warm human being."
