Album Notes

This live performance is programatically like a wine tasting. The two tracks that bear Billy Strayhorn's label display the spectrum of his varietal grapes, "Lush Life" (a very good year, written when Billy was 16) to a saucy after dinner signoff with a cork-popping, homeward bound "Take the 'A' Train." The somelier's selection of Strayhorn's frequent collaborator, Duke Ellington, is "In a Sentimental Mood".

...When the pianist uncorks his own compositions, you hope that he will spend more time writing. The haunting refrain of "Blue Nocturne" beckons an eyes-closed, pictorial reverie. "Song for Helen" has an evocative nose and strong legs, bestowing an intimate sip of a grandson's unique relationship to a captivating woman. Despite the fact the he never got to share this toast with her, you can hear his grandmother's smile laced through the tender melody.

-Cathy L. Jensen, L.A. Jazz Scene