Atlantic Jazz Keyboards

Producers: Ahmet Ertegun, Nesuhi Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, Joel Dorn, George Avakian.
Compilation producer: Joel Dorn.
Includes liner notes by Dick Katz.
Rhino's various artists/sampler series focuses on keyboards on this release, with cuts from 13 players. The opening track features Jimmy Yancey's sparkling boogie piano, and continues through several styles from Erroll Garner's flashy solos through Thelonious Monk's amazing bop improvisations, John Lewis' sedate, sophisticated phrases, Lennie Tristano's intricate material, and bluesier fare from Ray Charles, Junior Mance, and Les McCann. Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea take more adventurous directions, while The Mitchell-Ruff duo with drummer Charlie Smith falls somewhere in the center. The set's compositional variety and artist lineup is impressive; while none of these tracks qualify as particularly rare or obscure, they show the wealth of keyboard talent once on the Atlantic roster. ~ Ron Wynn