Customer Reviews

All Alone

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Prepare to be dazzled by an artist at the height of her powers. Jessica Williams brings to the keyboard a prodigious technique, an unerring sense of rhythm, inventive phrasing, and a knowledge of musical history--in short, everything required to master the art of improvisation. On "All Alone" she explores a world of different moods, from playful to pensive, as she interprets tunes like "In a Sentimental Mood," "As Time Goes By," and "Don't Explain." Then she cooks on her own compositions, "The Sheikh," and "The Quilt." Williams also has an uncanny way of evoking her musical mentors in original compositions like "Bill's Beauty" for Bill Evans, and "Toshiko" for Toshiko Akiyoshi. She even recalls the beloved John Coltrane in "They Say It's Wonderful" and "Too Young to Go Steady," songs he also recorded to which she adds new dimensions. If you like piano jazz, you will love this recording. Jessica Williams proves she is All Alone in a class by herself--one of the great artists of the keyboard.

Jessica Williams, who while spending some time on California's central coast developing her art, also plunged into the spiritual aspects of music and its performance. Over the years, she has moved away from mere cleverness and technique to chew on the marrow of the particular composition, discovering new depths. (Leonard Bernstein did this with some of Aaron Copland's works, which Copland himself acknowledged.) She excels with the ballad, the slower contemplative piece. All Alone, one of her many solo albums, is also among her best. It is perfect for Dinner Jazz, both as background and as as series of side dishes, each a unique study of form, rhythm, and feeling. All are tasty. Thus, you may regard the album as a series of separate tracks or collectively. Individually, the pieces are multi-colored piano gems; as a whole, however, the album's mood and tone, other than her jaunty work, The Sheikh, and an allegro, The Quilt, lead to a desire for more variety. However, in the spirituality of music, we must focus on the ever present, and Jessica Williams' insights are rewarding. We marvel at her playing.

Great music for doing work on the computer to or having a glass of wine. Great songs, nice piano work. Not top of the class, but well worth having.