Grant Geissman

A culmination of influences from an illustrious career spanning 25-plus years, Departure is the latest studio recording from pianist Dan Siegel. He brilliantly blends his melodic and rhythmic pop sensibilities with his traditional jazz roots and offers up an amazing acoustic vision of original compositions. This CD is graceful, noble, and reflective, since it transcends categorization as it speaks to earlier times of adult instrumental acoustic music with classic themes that were influenced by the song, its melodies, and its virtuosic musicians.

They called him "The Hat." Chuck Mangione, with his trademark black-felt, narrow-brimmed topper and his big, brassy fluegelhorn, burst out of the jazz world and into pop music in the late '70s with "Feels So Good," a monster hit and a rare example of a jazz tune hitting the top of the pop charts.

The pianist's fifth release for GRP was not only his most mature and sophisticated pop-jazz outing to date, but also one of the year's most enjoyable genre releases. Providing the usual Benoit trademark blend of frisky, angst-free melodic stylings with introspective ballads and knockout vocals (two tunes feature David Pack) and following up the success of their "The Key to You" collaboration in 1988, this stellar collection helped solidify Benoit's hold on the musical form that tunes like "Kei's Song" and "Every Step of the Way" helped popularize.