By Michael J. West | Published September 2024
Listening to Luther Allison play piano is like watching Simone Biles do floor exercises. He turns effortless, physics-defying technical wizardry into evocative, involving art and never fails to stick the landing. Sure enough, I Owe It All To You — his leader debut, after years supporting trombonist Michael Dease, drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. and vocalist Samara Joy — is a portrait of a straightahead pianist who seems to have no weak points in his arsenal.
Fronting a trio with bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Zach Adleman, Allison begins by dispatching the twin pillars of the tradition: the hard-driving swinger and the exquisite ballad. The former, the title track, finds the North Carolinian brandishing a percussive thrust and a deep, peculiarly Southern gospel aesthetic. Then the waltzing “Until I See You Again” performs a complete turnabout, with delicate, fine-honed piano phrases that lock in with the subtle pizzicato and brush strokes.
If that wasn’t enough, Allison moves on from these originals to another back-to-back hat trick, contemporary pop and classic standard covers. Stevie Wonder’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet” and Rodgers & Hart’s “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” both afford him opportunities to enmesh the hard and soft sides of his personality. He also swings both tunes with vigor (though differently, adding sweetness to the first and cocksure swagger to the second).
The list of can-dos only grows from there. Creative melodies shaped by ingenious harmonies? Check (Allison’s “The Things We Used To Say”). Improvs with a precise blend of resourcefulness and taste? Check (his solos on Harold Mabern’s “There But For The Grace Of” and Mulgrew Miller’s “New York”). Empathic communication with the band? Check (everything about “Lu’s Blues,” which also shows Allison’s blues chops). A Latin groover is the only missing puzzle piece, but, hey — he’s gotta save something for next time.
