Jack Reilly's latest visit to his world of solo piano continues some of his previous practices. First, he astutely blends elements from both the worlds of classical and jazz music. Second, the play list is a balanced mix of originals and standards. And third, he honors people he likes and respects through his compositional vignettes. Here, homages are paid to J.S. Bach and
Frederic Chopin alongside
Dave Brubeck's obeisance to
Duke Ellington. Originally issued by the Revelation label, the disc has been remastered and reissued on
Reilly's Unichrom label. The title.
The Brinksman, is designed to set up the improvisational forays
Reilly embarks upon during this session. Taking the piano and the music right to the edge, he always manages to pull back, avoiding calamity from the risks he takes. This is evident on such cuts as "November" and a special rendition of one of the more recorded pieces of music, "Willow Weep for Me." During this piece, he manages to move between different styles, but in such a way so that it flows easily instead of the music becoming disjointed and uneven. Of his originals, "Cheryl"(who was also honored on an earlier
Reilly album,
Tributes), has a vivacious, lilting melody to it presumably reflecting the personality of the person it was written about. His "Homage to Bach" flits at the edges of Baroque music with some fugueish measures, followed by a celebration of the joy of some of Bach's other modes with some jazzy passages. This very creative and listenable stuff is highly recommended. ~ Dave Nathan