is a man of many parts. Even though he is generally classified as a specialist, his playing is so flexible that it is open to any type of genre. His playing can be as shimmering as a mountain brook, as fresh as a spring morning, or as sophisticated as a performer. He has also developed a reputation as an accomplished and sought-after accompanist for some of the top vocalists of his time. While there's no singing on this album, the only one he made for the label, the other realms of ' pianist world are visited, whether it be the jagged lines of where 's drums are given wide latitude, or a cultivated, almost polite yet swinging 's bass gets the spotlight. shows up on two cuts; the other bass belongs to . The beat gets a nod with a relaxing, quiet reading of 's pays homage to one of his more illustrious contemporaries with a magical reading of this time featuring ' bass. The trio expands with the addition of guitarist for and Over his many years as a performer, has established himself not only as a major force in piano, but also nonpareil when it comes to the piano trio format. This 1976 recording does absolutely nothing to diminish his matchless status in the annals of that combination. ~ Dave Nathan