Pianist
Kevin Hays' style mixes together the influences of
Bill Evans and
McCoy Tyner and he helps define the modern mainstream on this Blue Note disc. The quintet set also features plenty of solo space from vibraphonist
Steve Nelson and the excellent tenorman
Seamus Blake. Opening with three
Hays originals and also including Hindermith's "Interlude" (which finds the group sounding a little like
the Modern Jazz Quartet) and such standards as "My Man's Gone Now" and "East of the Sun," the music pays tribute to the past without becoming predictable or overly derivative. It's a fine release. ~ Scott Yanow