Rick Cutler: “Women & Children” (2020) CD Review

Rick Cutler is a keyboardist, pianist, drummer and composer, based in New York. He has worked with an impressive roster of artists, including Liza Minelli, Herbie Hancock, Larry Coryell and Donna Summer. His new album, Women & Children, features mostly original material, and follows his 2017 release Daydreams (Probably). He plays keyboard or piano on most of these tunes, but gets behind the drum kit on a few tracks. So there are a few different configurations throughout the album as far as the band lineup, varying the styles and tones. Joining him on this release are Richard Boukas on guitar, Vinnie Zummo on guitar, David Katzenberg on bass, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Billy Mintz on drums, Tony Cintron on drums, Lawrence Feldman on tenor saxophone and flute, Mark Soskin on piano, Bill Hayes on glass armonica, Dave Wechsler on wooden flute, Sarah Caswell on violin, and Charlotte Durkee on vocals.

The album opens with “The Blues Matters,” and as it begins with that bluesy groove, it is clear that the blues do in fact matter here. The track is a combination of jazz, blues and rock, and features some cool work on keys and guitar, all while that steady groove continues. Toward the end, there is some nice work by Lawrence Feldman on tenor saxophone, and he delivers a lead as the track fades out. I wish his playing would go on a bit longer. On this track, Rick Cutler is on electric piano and Billy Mintz is on drums. That’s followed by “Etude,” a solo piece by Rick Cutler on piano. As you might guess from the track’s title, there is a classical style to this one, and a light vibe to the piece. It has a pretty and pleasant sound. Then on “A Day’s Work,” Rick Cutler plays both piano and keyboards. This one eases in, and has an oddly magical tone at times near the beginning and again toward the end, though the piano has a more serious and somber sound, and it is that sound that ends up dominating.

On “One For Ed,” Rick plays drums, and Mark Soskin is on piano. There is something cheerful about this one, in its full and vibrant sound, and Rick delivers some excellent work on the drum kit. Mark Soskin is given a chance to really stretch out during his lead on piano, which is great. This piece is dedicated to Rick’s father-in-law. That’s followed by another solo piano piece, “Green,” this one having a beautiful and simple structure. It’s all about the mood it creates, and the connection to the listener, which is strong, helping to make this one of my personal favorites. This piece seems to tell me of a better world, a world almost within reach.

The album’s only cover is a pretty and sweet rendition of Tom Waits’ “Time,” featuring Charlotte Durkee on vocals. Tom Waits has written a large amount of phenomenal songs over the years, but this one – if not the very best – must be close to the top of the list of his best work. It was originally included on his fantastic Rain Dogs album, released in 1985. Charlotte Durkee does an absolutely wonderful job here, her vocals having a gentle feel in all the right places, supported by Rick Cutler’s beautiful work on piano. “And they all pretend they’re orphans, and their memories like a train/You can see them getting smaller as they pull away/And the things you can’t remember tell the things you can’t forget/That history puts a saint in every dream.” Charlotte sounds like an angel who has been spending a lot of time among the mortals in the city. Bill Hayes plays glass armonica on this track, adding another layer of beauty.

“Paris After Midnight” begins in a sweet and beautiful place, with Lawrence Feldman delivering some nice work on flute. Rick Cutler is behind the drum kit on this one, with Mark Soskin again on piano. After a minute or so, this piece takes on a different tone, developing a groove, and you get the sense of someone walking along the streets and enjoying himself tremendously, taking in the sights and the atmosphere. Though he may be walking alone, it is not a lonely street, nor a lonely sound. That’s followed by another solo piano piece, “Hymn #4,” a pretty and uplifting track. Then Dave Wechsler joins Rick Cutler on wooden flute for “Japanese Mist,” a more meditative piece, one that reminds us of the world’s beauty, the world’s charms, and suggests that we relax for a moment to appreciate them.

Things then get more lively again with “Dee Too,” a track that has the same lineup as “One For Ed,” featuring Rick on drums and Mark on piano, with Richard Boukas on guitar and David Katzenberg on bass. Richard delivers some really nice work on guitar. That’s followed by “Trance,” the final solo piano piece of the album. This one does have a somewhat haunting sound, a timeless quality, a space seemingly occupied by ghosts and memories. The album then concludes with its title track, “Women & Children,” featuring a different band from the previous tracks. Here Rick is joined by Vinnie Zummo on guitar, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Tony Cintron on drums, and Sara Caswell on violin. This piece was originally written for and performed by the violinist Noel Pointer. Rick had played with him a while back, and Tony Cintron was also a member of that band, so this track is a reunion of sorts. It features a good groove, and some absolutely wonderful work by Sara Caswell.

CD Track List

1. The Blues Matters
2. Etude
3. A Day’s Work
4. One For Ed
5. Green
6. Time
7. Paris After Midnight
8. Hymn #4
9. Japanese Mist
10. Dee Too
11. Trance
12. Women & Children

Women & Children was released on July 24, 2020 on New Dude Records.