One of the more important of the present day pianists, Leslie Pintchik is shown in all of her strengths here teamed with her trio of bassist Scott Hardy and drummer Michael Sarin at NYC’s Jazz at Kitaro. Her strengths is her influence and long shadow from Thelonious Monk, of whom she’s inspired by but not imitative of on her approach and compositions. She displays the allusions with sharp angles on the acute degrees of “Your Call Will Be Answered…” and “There You Go,” with Sarin’s sticks snapping on the Oz-themed “I’d Turn Back If I Were You.” A dash of Bill Evans lyricism also oozes out between her fingers, as she glides along Hardy’s bass on a rich “Falling In Love” and her own “Let’s Get Lucky” while the team feels hip in a high hatter of “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and chiming “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face” that exudes the ardor of Rex Harrison. I missed her last time she was in LA-I won’t make that mistake again!