Michael Kaeshammer: “The Warehouse Sessions” (2022) CD Review

According to the liner notes of The Warehouse Sessions, each of the tracks on the album was a first take, the idea being to capture the initial energy of tackling certain songs. And the results are completely delicious. The three musicians – Michael Kaeshammer on piano, David Piltch on acoustic bass, and Johnny Vidacovich on drums – are clearly having a great time, getting loose and really listening to each other. Basically, they are living in the moment, as this is a sort of live recording without the audience. And though Michael Kaeshammer is a composer as well as musician, the songs chosen here are all covers, tunes the musicians could get loose on, tunes that will be familiar to most listeners.

The album opens with “You Got It In Your Soulness,” a tune written by Les McCann and included on the 1969 album Swiss Movement by McCann and Eddie Harris. What a fun choice to kick off the album. There is a short bit of banter about how to start the song, but there is nothing hesitant about this track once it starts. In fact, it opens with a great burst of energy, and then grooves and rocks with joy, abandon and cool. There is also a bit of banter at the beginning of “How Long Blues,” some talk about wanting the track to feel like they’re getting onto a train. And as they begin, they talk about which key to do it in. The groove is soon established, and Michael Kaeshammer starts to take off on piano. There is a wonderful vibe about this one, and this track features a nice lead on bass.

Michael Kaeshammer begins to toy with “Down By The Riverside,” and someone shouts out, “Is that what we’re playing?” And once it gets going, this track has that delicious New Orleans vibe, particularly in the drumbeat. This music feels like a celebration of life, just the sort of thing we need. At one point, things slow down a bit for a bass solo. Then as Michael Kaeshammer comes in with some comments on keys, the cool groove continues, and it builds from there, the joy rising again. It feels like it ends too soon, but is a delightful rendition. That is followed by “Caravan.” There is no banter at the beginning of this one. Rather, it begins with some good work on drums. So, yeah, it’s cool right from its start, and it never loses that sense, that vibe. If anything, it somehow gets even cooler as it progresses. There is a strong atmosphere, and some fantastic work on keys. There is also a groovy lead on bass. What I especially love is that great, loose playing on drums. Basically, these three give you everything you might want from this tune.

There is a cute introduction to “Bourbon Street Parade,” and then the drums set things in action. Soon there is a light, playful sound on piano, supported by some excellent work on drums. There is such a joyful air about this track, and with a groove that will make you want to shake your bones and join that great human dance that I imagine snakes its way through New Orleans every evening. And toward the end, Michael Kaeshammer adds his voice to the celebration, singing about that exciting city. This is the only track to feature vocals. That’s followed by “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas.” At this point, when I hear “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas,” I can’t help but thinking of the British show Coupling, which used the song – in its English form, “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” – in its opening credits sequence. The version here contains no opening banter, but begins with that familiar theme on piano. This is a wonderful rendition, and is probably as tight as the trio gets on these tracks, particularly in the first half. When that great bass lead comes in halfway through, things do get a bit looser, wilder.

There is just the slightest bit of banter at the start of “Ain’t She Sweet,” and when they get going, I can’t help but smile. This is another light, joyful piece, featuring some wonderful, delightful work on piano. And these guys take the song into some exciting places, with some surprising touches. They then give us Ornette Coleman’s “Ramblin’.” Ornette Coleman is one of the many artists I learned about through the Grateful Dead (Jerry Garcia played on one of his albums in the late 1980s). This one begins with some good work on drums, and, like this entire album, soon has a cool and joyful vibe about it. If you’re looking for something to raise your spirits, you should pick up a copy of this disc. The album concludes with Horace Silver’s “The Preacher,” a track featuring a good groove and plenty of great work on piano. It is that lead on bass that really makes this one stand out. It’s a fun conclusion to an excellent album.

CD Track List

1. You Got It In Your Soulness
2. How Long Blues
3. Down By The Riverside
4. Caravan
5. Bourbon Street Parade
6. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas
7. Ain’t She Sweet
8. Ramblin’
9. The Preacher

The Warehouse Sessions was released on October 7, 2022.