Home
Soul Quest
Loading Inventory...
Barnes and Noble
Soul Quest
Current price: $19.99
Barnes and Noble
Soul Quest
Current price: $19.99
Loading Inventory...
Size: OS
*Product Information may vary - to confirm product availability, pricing, and additional information please contact Barnes and Noble
marks pianist
's 25th recording anniversary. Since the very beginning, her crystalline piano and accessible yet harmonically rich compositions have been mainstays, not only on the smooth and contemporary jazz scenes, but also on the charts. She enlisted an all-star studio group to assist her on these ten tunes, nine of which she wrote or co-wrote. Most tracks were produced either by
guitarist
(who contributes one tune, co-wrote several others, and plays on the set) or
(who also plays drums selectively and co-wrote the album's closer). Other contributors include
,
, and
, to name a few. The charting single "Black Lion," with its breezy acoustic guitar line from from
and some tasty loops and percussion programming from
, is a clear standout, as is "A Night with Cha Cha," with
.
's piano uses the familiar Latin form as a jumping-off point for improvisation. Her composition weaves an intricate melody line for her piano and
's tenor saxophone with a couple of dramatic changes in the bridge. "Antarctica: A Call to Action" walks a hazy line between contemporary jazz, classical crossover, and even rock, with stellar solos from
on both tenor and soprano, a punchy gatekeeper bassline by
, elegant and sometimes thunderous drumming by
, and atmospheric guitar from
uses her piano and other keyboards to direct its many parts like a mini-suite The title track is a tango-inspired jazz ballad with
interacting dreamily with
's cello over the first half, but
' bassline and
's funky synth and programming offer a tempo and color shift that
builds upon, exchanging fours with all her players. Set-closer "Stingo," written by the pianist and
, is her tribute to
's precise ostinati and arpeggios are pushed by
's aggressive kit work and programming, with colorful textures added by
's keyboards. There is a cinematic quality to the breezy and labyrinthine elegance of her improvising against a pronounced rhythmic attack.
's greatest achievement lies in its diversity, and in the way
applies her imagination as a composer, improviser, and arranger. It ranks with her finest work. ~ Thom Jurek