Reissued on CD in 1998, this long-unavailable session was Monty Alexander’s earliest recorded set of unaccompanied piano solos. He had recorded as a leader since 1965 but usually with trios. Alexander, who mixes together the influence and technique of Oscar Peterson with his Caribbean heritage and his own musical imagination, has been a masterful pianist from the start, so playing solo certainly did not faze him. The repertoire includes some then-current pop tunes (including Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” and “The Way We Were” which Alexander somehow uplifts) with romps on “St. Thomas,” “So What,” and a few originals. A very successful effort. – Scott Yanow
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