Pianist Roberta Piket delivers a successful “celebration” of pianist/personality Marian McPartland which focuses on the famed lady’s compositions along with a couple of songs inspired by her. She brings together Steve Wilson/as-fl, Virginia Mayhew/ts-cl, Bill Mobley/tp-fh, Harvie S/b and Billy Mintz/dr-perc for some lovely reads of pieces such as “Ambience” and “In the Days of Our Love.” Wilson’s flute is sublime here, and Mobley’s horn is warm and sincere. Piket’s touch is elegant and yet swingingly lyrical, a perfect fit for McPartland’s material, and even the assertive “Kaleidoscope” and “Threnody” come off as cheerful. Vocalist Karrin Allyson adds an alluringly sensitive vocal to “Twilight World” while Piket’s own “One For Marian” and “Saying Goodbye” are both celebratory and sincere. Enjoyable on a multitude of levels.
Thirteenth Note Records