Don't be fooled by the nice and easy introduction to this very appealing trad jazz pianist's opening number (the spiritual "Let My People Go") -- within a few minutes, he and his trio of Darryl Hall (bass) and Charles Hopkins (drums) are swinging and having a ball. The best passages on
Harlequin find Mike Bardash riffing over Hall's percussive stops and starts. The lyrical ballad "Red Shirt" sets the overall dual mood tone of the set, from ultra-energetic to more contemplative. Saxophonist Deji Coker gets into the act to punchy effect on Bardash's playful original "Steps," while Bardash makes great use of percussion on the sexy Latin vibe of
Luiz Bonfá's "Black Orpheus." Bardash strips down to solo piano for a sweet late-night rendition of "The Way You Look Tonight." ~ Jonathan Widran