Chapters 1 & 2: Keys to the City/Work combines
Mulgrew Miller's excellent first two albums on one compact disc. Keys to the City, pianist
Mulgrew Miller's debut as a leader, found his
McCoy Tyner-inspired modal style already fully formed. At the time, he was a member of
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and was starting to become well-known in the jazz world. Teamed with bassist
Ira Coleman and drummer
Marvin "Smitty" Smith,
Miller performs four originals,
Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge," "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," "Milestones" and an unaccompanied rendition of
Duke Ellington's "Warm Valley." Work was made about the time he left
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers to go out on his own. The session,
Miller's second date as a leader, matches his modern mainstream modal style with bassist
Charnett Moffett and drummer
Terri Lyne Carrington. Once again, the repertoire is a mixture of
Miller originals, jazz standards ("Without a Song," "Powell's Prances" and
Thelonious Monk's "Work") and an unaccompanied piano solo ("My Man's Gone Now"). This set is recommended to fans of 1980s/'90s jazz piano. ~ Scott Yanow