Warna

About

On his fifth album (and his first for Verve), 16-year-old piano phenom Joey Alexander moves well past any lingering “child prodigy” baggage, focusing mainly on original compositions with the high-echelon rhythm section of bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Kendrick Scott. His harmonic grasp and rhythmic authority continue to deepen, as does his interpretive command on a very uptempo reading of Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge” and a relaxed take on Sting’s “Fragile.” Flutist Anne Drummond brings a lush lyricism to “We Here” and “The Light”—the latter a beautiful chamber-like finale without drums. And percussionist Luisito Quintero comes on board for “Warna,” “Downtime,” and the Latin-tinged piano/percussion duo “Our Story.” These varied pieces, along with the moody waltz “Lonely Streets” and the solo piano departures “Affirmation I” and “Tis Our Prayer,” are as representative of modern piano jazz in 2020 as any number of offerings by much older players.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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