Night Songs - Jonathan Kreisberg

Night Songs is guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg's seventh album as a leader, recorded on June 13, 2008 in New York and released on Criss Cross Records. The album represents a deliberate departure for Kreisberg, who set aside original compositions in favor of a program built almost entirely from standards and ballads — a choice made during a reflective period in his life. His trio of bassist Matt Penman and drummer Mark Ferber is joined by pianist Gary Versace on several tracks. The repertoire draws from Duke Ellington, Wayne Shorter, Kurt Weill, and the Great American Songbook, including "Autumn in New York," which Kreisberg has called one of the greatest standards ever written, and "Laura," recorded as a guitar-piano duet at the end of the session. Ellington's rarely performed "Warm Valley" closes the album in an unusual 5/4 arrangement that reframes the piece. Kreisberg approached the project with the aim of letting each take develop its own personality, and the ensemble plays with a selfless attentiveness that keeps the ballad-heavy program from becoming atmospheric background music. The album captures a specific, introspective mood without sacrificing improvisational commitment.