Linda Presgrave is an excellent hard bop pianist who made her recorded debut as a leader on this fine, straight-ahead CD. Her expressive style fits into the tradition without being derivative. Presgrave is joined by either Harvie Swartz or Carline Ray on bass, Cecil Brooks III or Wade Barnes on drums, tenor saxophonist John Stubblefield (on four of the nine songs), and trumpeter Bryan Lynch on two of the Stubblefield appearances. The pianist performs five originals and four standards, including Horace Silver’s “Cape Verdean Blues” and Cole Porter’s “I Love You.” The music is easy to enjoy, the musicianship is excellent, and overall this is an impressive debut from Presgrave, a pianist who deserves to be better-known. – Scott Yanow
more »