Not every jazz artist who comes along needs to be an innovator -- very few of the jazzers who emerged in the 1980s and 1990s were -- but every improviser should try to develop his or her own sound. Though
Mike Jones isn't innovative or groundbreaking, the acoustic swing pianist does have his own sound: one that combines a strong
Oscar Peterson influence with a healthy appreciation of stride piano and pre-bop -- pre-
Bud Powell, pre-
Thelonious Monk pianists such as
Art Tatum,
Teddy Wilson,
Fats Waller, and
Erroll Garner. Another thing that
Jones has are impressive chops, and they serve him well on this CD, which was recorded live at New York's Steinway Hall in 1997. Playing unaccompanied solo piano,
Jones brings his light touch and his appealing lyricism to such standards as "The Things We Did Last Summer," "These Foolish Things," and "Lullaby of the Leaves." And because he's unaccompanied,
Jones has no problem changing tempos a lot within the course of a song -- something that keeps listeners on their toes and prevents his set from becoming the least bit predictable. ~ Alex Henderson