Looking Glass by Theo Walentiny

Press Release:

Questing Young Pianist Theo Walentiny Releases His Debut Solo Album, the Kaleidoscopic Looking Glass

Looking Glass – to be released April 2, 2021 – features solo improvisations in the spirit of piano icons Keith Jarrett and Paul Bley, as well as the modernist compositions of Toru Takemitsu and poetic introspection of Mingus Plays Piano

“Theo Walentiny’s music, while at times deceptively austere, bursts open with rich, complex emotion. His recording of solo piano improvisations is a gift of genuine presence, like having a poet over to your home for an afternoon of impassioned insights. Blessed with remarkable sonic command, a patient formal wisdom, and the courage to draw from the depths of his inner world, Theo in turn blesses us with dazzling juxtapositions of wildness and tenderness.” — VIJAY IYER

Brooklyn-based pianist Theo Walentiny has created a small universe of musical introspection and emotion with his solo debut on record, Looking Glass. To be released digitally and on limited-edition CD by the artist on April 2, 2021, this absorbing album showcases Walentiny in pieces created spontaneously at the piano. “My aim was to make raw, unprepared improvisation the focus, with none of the material preconceived,” the 24-year-old pianist explains. “Entering a subconscious flow state is something I aspire to often – so in a sense, that was my key preparation for the session. The album’s title, which comes from the first track, represents the idea that the pieces themselves are a sheet of glass that reflect two worlds – one being my conscious self and another that subconscious state. My hope is that by revealing my musical self in a vulnerable subconscious state, the album might also help reveal to listeners more about themselves. For me, music at its most powerful is transporting – and that’s my goal for the listener. This pandemic we’re all living through has inevitably led to more introspection for most of us. I know, for me, creating in a solo capacity can be a powerful escape.”

Walentiny – who also co-leads the Aurelia Trio with bassist Nick Dunston and drummer Connor Parks, along with composing for his own septet and creating electronic music on his own – recorded Looking Glass in the basement of a midcentury-modern house in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The piano for the session, a Steinway Model B, had belonged to saxophone great Dave Liebman while he lived in New York City during the 1970s loft scene, with such notables as Chick Corea and Richie Beirach having graced its keys. “From the moment I played the first note,” Walentiny recalls, “I could tell it was a special instrument – it felt almost electrified.”

Looking Glass has already earned praise from some estimable figures, not only MacArthur “Genius” pianist-composer Vijay Iyer (“Theo’s music bursts open with rich, complex emotion… dazzling juxtapositions of wildness and tenderness”), but also veteran saxophonist Oliver Lake: “Theo’s compositions and improvisations are carefully crafted works of inspiration – his creative approach to time, space, dynamics and range are incredible.” Some of the highlights of Looking Glass include dramatic opener “Fanfare for the Looking Glass” and the evocatively poetic “Behind Tall Grass,” as well as the dynamic abstractions of “Film I” and “Of Worlds Other Than.”

Discussing some of his key influences when it comes to solo piano, Walentiny singles out Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert and Paul Bley’s Open, To Love, as well as Mingus Plays Piano by Charles Mingus. “I never tried to consciously emulate any of those albums for Looking Glass, although each has contributed to my sound and sensibility over the years, especially when it comes to playing solo,” Walentiny says. “The way Jarrett created long narratives and unique musical worlds on Köln Concert it’s as though he enters a trance state where the music plays itself. His solo work is partly what inspired me to perform long improvised solo sets. Bley’s Open, To Love demonstrates his deep connection with the instrument, and the way he works with harmony and time produces an otherworldly sound. As for Mingus Plays Piano, I grew up listening to that album from a very young age. I remember finding the CD lying around my house and being blown away by the first few notes of ‘Myself When I am Real,’ as I still am to this day. Listening to Mingus on this recording showed me what was possible for the piano and the human spirit – a way of communicating more powerful than words. It’s something to aspire to.”

Pianist, composer and improviser Theo Walentiny grew up in an artistic home. His world of influences include Cecil Taylor, Charles Mingus, Toru Takemitsu and Henri Dutilleux. Along with playing top venues in New York City, Walentiny has performed in Israel, Switzerland and China. Theo is also developing an electronic-oriented project for a subsequent album release.