Alec SChulman

Los Angeles native Alec Schulman, gifted jazz pianist and singer-songwriter, is far from alone among musicians in his deep admiration for the great Joni Mitchell. But the circumstances surrounding his remarkable debut album, Light That Slips Away, are nearly unheard of. After meeting renowned bassist/producer Larry Klein, Mitchell’s ex-husband, at a Berklee masterclass, Schulman and Klein became fast friends and Klein assumed the role of a musical mentor.

Back in LA during the COVID crisis, Schulman played Klein early versions of songs that would ultimately appear on Light That Slips Away. Klein not only shared his insights but also played on the album. One thing led to another, and the lineup on several songs grew to include not only Klein but drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and pedal-steel veteran Greg Leisz — some of Joni Mitchell’s closest bandmates and collaborators from the 1990s. These masters were enthusiastic to take part, and far from upstaging the young Schulman, they helped bring his distinctive sound and story to fruition.

On Part 2 the focus shifts to Schulman on solo piano, offering eight beautiful introspective improvisations to complete the picture. This is where Light That Slips Away began, as a solo piano statement, though the heart of it kept expanding. Moods range from the flowing melodies of “Detour” and “In Blackwater Woods” (a Mary Oliver poem) to the more rhythmic and coarser texture of “Wake Up.”

Enter Aaron Parks — friend and fellow pianist, renowned for his albums on Blue Note and ECM and his work with Terence Blanchard, the jazz supergroup James Farm and countless others — to serve as coproducer of this dream project. “Alec is a deeply thoughtful songwriter,” says Parks, “an adventurous and accomplished pianist, and he brings a unique and compelling point of view to everything he creates.” With regular input from Parks and Klein as well, Light That Slips Away came into focus with pivotal contributions from vocalists Emma Frank and Jessame Berry, not to mention Schulman himself singing “Fire Song (On the New Horizon).” Jazz guitar maestro Gilad Hekselman also brings his liquid tonal personality to “Home,” a drum-less instrumental featuring Leisz and Klein, with Schulman adding touches of Hammond organ. Guitarist Roy Ben Bashat, bassist Ethan Moffitt, drummer Christian Euman and violinist/violist Miguel Atwood-Ferguson add sparkle and polish in just the right measure.

“I am grateful to Larry Klein for reminding me of Nietzsche’s advice to write in your own blood,” Schulman states in an album note. This is Joni Mitchell’s ethic as well, and it comes through in Schulman’s material, which even in light of his virtuosic abilities is all about saying more with less. “The songs and improvisations on this album hold a collection of stories that have marked my life during the pandemic,” he writes. “Moving between homes, the California wildfires, the cinematic nature of time, the bridge of solitude and loneliness, the energy of night, the meaning of friendship and success, and the open road.”

Schulman’s initial exposure to Joni Mitchell came when he was fourteen. “I was hooked,” he recalls. “My brother played me Hejira and I couldn’t believe what I was listening to. The melodies, the phrasing, the harmonic intuition, the musical nuances that inform the poetry… my life changed. I was immersed in straight-ahead jazz and yet there was something indescribable about Joni’s storytelling, her imagery and painter’s instincts within philosophic themes, that reeled me in.” The songs and improvisations on Light That Slips Away bring forth a cinematic depth, marking the passage of time with a contemplative warmth. The title also doubles as an indirect reference to Mitchell’s 1980 double live album Shadows and Light (featuring Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker and Don Alias).

Internalizing Mitchell’s sound without imitating it, Schulman finds his own route to a highly personal songwriting approach, in which crisp melodic phrases sway against open, ambiguous harmonies, and a certain vulnerability prevails. For the players involved, it requires an exquisite touch, rock-solid time, and a way of filling space without crowding it: qualities that pros like Greg Leisz practically invented in the modern singer-songwriter era. Employing Rhodes and Mellotron along with acoustic piano, Schulman conjures a folk-inflected jazz-rock aesthetic that’s related in a way to such figures as Brian Blade, Rebecca Martin and others. “I hope this music finds a home with you,” he writes, “perhaps while traveling, as my favorite records always seem to find me. Light that Slips Away is dedicated to Joni Mitchell, whose shadows and light always bring me home.”

Light That Slips Away

Release Date: February 3, 2023