Pat Metheny Jazz Piano Solos

Lyle Mays waited a long, long time before straying from the Pat Metheny Group to issue his first solo album, but when he did, the results were at once removed but not totally untethered to the Metheny sound and feeling. On his own, Mays' synthesizer solos and textures are close in sound to what he was doing in the Metheny group, but the turns of phrases in his acoustic piano solos reflect the heavy shadow of Keith Jarrett.

Percussionist Trilok Gurtu comes from a long line of respected Indian classical musicians, but he's best known for his genre-blending fusions of world music and jazz. Crazy Saints is one of his most complex and challenging releases to date, enlisting the aid of jazz legends like guitarist Pat Metheny and Joe Zawinul to create a thoroughly modern sound that moves from razor sharp ensemble work to dizzying solos. The most effective songs are those that mine Gurtu's myriad world music influences, including "Manini" and "Blessing in Disguise," both of which are blessed with the haunting vocal ululations of Indian music legend Shobha Gurtu, the drummer's mother. The genteel balladry of "Ballad for 2 Musicians" and the excessive ambient noodling of "The Other Tune" may tax the patience of those with a lower tolerance for modern jazz wankery.

In this quick follow-up to his solo piano date So Far, Jackson combines his piano with organ overdubs; this sound, combined with violinist Christian Howes, makes for an arresting and unique new sonority. Electric bassist Richard Bona, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and percussionist Mino Cinelu hold down the fort of rhythmic variety, and James Carter plays saxophone on a few cuts. Jackson wrote and arranged all of the material…

This is the third and final guest appearance by clarinetist Bill Smith in the place of Paul Desmond with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Like the earlier record dates, this 1961 session focuses exclusively on Smith's compositions, resulting in a very different sound for the band than its normal mix of the leader's songs and standards. Smith was a member of Brubeck's adventurous octet of the late '40s and, like the pianist, also studied with French composer Darius Milhaud. So the clarinetist is willing to take chances, utilizing a mute on his instrument in "Pan's Pipes," and having drummer Joe Morello use his timpani sticks on the piano strings in the swinging "The Unihorn." Smith proves himself very much in Desmond's league with his witty solos and equally amusing, pun-filled liner notes…

Vibraphonist Gary Burton's place in the jazz firmament has long been assured, but he has no intention of sitting on the sidelines as others enter the field. Instead, Burton has a knack for reaching out to younger players, thus leading to the title of his 2004 release, Generations. More specifically, the title refers to guitarist Julian Lage, a new talent on the jazz scene whose low profile can be attributed to the fact that he's a sophomore in high school. Lage's cool sound, inspired by Jim Hall, perfectly complements the lightness of Burton's vibes, giving Generations a relaxed, mellow sound.