🎧 Listening to the Jazz Piano Trio Masterpiece [#320]: The Ralph Sharon Trio's 'Do I Hear a Waltz?'
I'm just a guy who wants to introduce jazz piano trios.
Hello. I'm not a jazz expert or an advanced listener, but this is a series I started simply out of my love for piano trios. Let's learn about 'masterpieces of jazz piano trios' little by little together.
This time, I'd like to introduce 'Do I Hear a Waltz?' by the Ralph Sharon Trio. When you hear the name Ralph Sharon, many people might think of him as Tony Bennett's accompanist and musical director. A pianist who naturally supports words and melodies behind a singer. That sense of someone who 'knows the song' comes through clearly in this trio album.
🎹 The album this time
The Ralph Sharon Trio – Do I Hear a Waltz? (1964)
This is a recording featuring Ralph Sharon (piano), Hal Gaylor (bass), and Billy Exiner (drums).
This is an album featuring a piano trio performing songs from the musical 'Do I Hear a Waltz?' by Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim. It was recorded in 1964 and released by Columbia (CBS) in 1965. It is an approximately 32-minute instrumental trio album consisting entirely of songs from the musical, including 'Do I Hear a Waltz?', 'Here We Are Again', 'Moon in My Window', 'A Perfectly Lovely Couple', 'Take the Moment', and 'Someone Like You'. Rather than pushing through with intense improvisation, it is an album where you can enjoy the 'unassuming charm' of a piano trio, presenting familiar melodies with elegant swing and a light touch.
👂 Highlights
An album that presents musical theater songs as 'jazz miniatures': The charm of this album lies in how it doesn't over-decorate the musical songs, but instead packages them as short, accessible jazz performances. Even on the title track, 'Do I Hear a Waltz?', the melody of the theme is barely altered, maintaining the atmosphere of the original while adding a light jazz swing feel through left-hand comping and subtle right-hand embellishments. This 'not-too-deconstructed' approach balances the cohesion of a Broadway collection with the enjoyment of a piano trio.
Piano playing with a singing heart, drifting through 'Take the Moment': 'Take the Moment' is a track that clearly shows Ralph Sharon's strengths. He doesn't try to surprise you with difficult techniques; he lets the melody sing naturally. There is a refinement in that. You can feel a beauty similar to a vocal accompaniment without words, characteristic of a pianist who supported Tony Bennett.
Understated yet comfortable support from bass and drums: Hal Gaylor's bass and Billy Exiner's drums do not push themselves to the front, but are dedicated to supporting the piano's melody. In the waltz tracks, the bass softly supports the first beat, and the drums add light accents with brushes or cymbals, naturally creating the swirling sway of a 3/4 time signature. It is not a work that seeks intense interplay, but the overall balance is good, and the fact that it remains in your ears even when played lightly contributes to its ease of listening.
✍️ A brief comment
'Do I Hear a Waltz?' is not the type of piano trio album that pushes you with heat or intensity. Rather, it is an album to relax your shoulders and slowly savor the quality of the melodies. Ralph Sharon's piano sounds as if he values delivering the songs beautifully more than flashy technique. If the 1956 'The Ralph Sharon Trio' was a trio of his younger days focused on standards, this work is 'an album of adult waltzes and songs that carefully traces the world of musicals with a trio.' It is easy for jazz beginners to get into, and it also suits those who love musicals and standard songs. It is an album that will gently soften the air in your room when played during morning work, weekend reading, or when you want to calm down a bit at night.
How was it?
This marks the 320th installment of the 'Masterpieces of Jazz Piano Trio' series. I will continue to introduce even more wonderful works, so please look forward to them!
🎧 Listen in high quality on your smartphone (free trial)
With Amazon Music Unlimited, you can enjoy this album in high-resolution (higher sound quality than a CD).
Please try the trial period to experience the difference for yourself.
👇 Try listening with a trial
https://www.amazon.co.jp/music/unlimited/?tag=ontaro2025was-22
▼ I also introduce other works by Ralph Sharon!
▼ I also introduce various other things!