The earliest jazz music was created to get people dancing. A new album called Big Foot takes that idea and runs with it – actually, it taps with it.
Acclaimed jazz pianist Larry Goldings meets rising tap dancer and choreographer Melinda Sullivan in this modern-sounding collaboration that reaches back to the age when jazz and dancing were inseparable. Goldings and Sullivan haven’t created nostalgic music, though.
The pair first met through a musical project by singer Inara George in 2019 and, in early jam sessions, found common ground in their love of musical theater. During the pandemic, Goldings and Sullivan stepped up their efforts and found themselves working toward the recording of Big Foot.
The addition of guests Sam Gendel (saxophone), CJ Camerieri (trumpet), Daphne Chen (violin and viola) and bassist Karl McComas-Reichl further fill out the album’s unique soundscapes.
Goldings’ daughter Anna sings a haunting melody on “Do You Like,” which also includes drumming legend Steve Gadd who finds inspiration tapping with his hands on a simple cardboard box. Gadd himself played drums and did a tap dance routine as a child on The Mickey Mouse Club television show.
Goldings is well-known for his organ playing and adds synthesizers and atmospheric sounds to his piano on many songs from Big Foot, including the title song.
Sullivan’s rhythms are altered with digital effects and creative microphone techniques that evoke more computer-driven electronic beats but with an unmistakable human quality. She taps and also drags her feet to create a mix of stick-and-brushes drumming that human hands can’t.
Experimenting with her feet in boots, socks, sneakers and using sand and water as a dancing surface, Sullivan offers a universe of percussion sounds from just below her ankles.
Big Foot’s 11 brief songs range from just under a minute to a bit over four, a concise statement with each piece offering surprises and culminating in a mesmerizing listening experience.
Seattle multi-instrumentalist Alex Dugdale is also an experienced tap dancer who's tapped with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra and on his own album.
He explained to KNKX that "as music has pushed the limits and explored the depths of expression with tone, harmony and beats, we have seen dance echo this as well with stunning visuals, skillful athleticism and dynamic rhythmic movement."
Dugdale added the goal is to bring the listener closer to the artist, "to make you so intently aware of everything in (and nothing outside of) the moment. I am hopeful that music and dance will inspire each other and grow together as we hope to do with our friends and family, echoing our own lives."
The complete Big Foot album from Goldings and Sullivan will be released on Colorfield Records Aug. 16. Listen for the early release of the title song on The New Cool and stay connected for more inspiring connections in the arts on KNKX.
The New Cool airs Fridays at 9 p.m., hosted by Abe Beeson and produced by KNKX Public Radio in Seattle, Washington. LISTEN ON DEMAND
