Australian pianist
Mark Isaacs' eight compositions on
Closer are almost all mournful, introspective, and thoughtful. The solos of
Isaacs, tenor-saxophonist Jason Cooney, and guitarist James Muller have their passionate moments, but overall the music is rather cold and, by the third or fourth song, a bit tedious. One wishes that these musicians would lighten up a bit, after all life cannot always be this serious, but the structures and tempos of the songs make it difficult to break away from the melancholy and rather downbeat mood. One appreciates the effort and talent that went into this disc, but this is not a CD one will return to too often. ~ Scott Yanow