Peter Friedman

I like this one a lot.

Ken Peplowski - Noir Blue

Beethoven - String Quartet Op.18/2 and Mendelsohhn - Piano Trio No.2, Op.66

These two are among my favorites by Barney Kessel.

Violin Sonata No.1, Op.78 and No. 2, Op.100

For me it is the Live at Sandy's sessions, the Shirley Horn, and Arnett is Back .

Had this CD for a number of years. It is the only example of Iturraide's playing I have heard. Very enjoyable session.

D.664 and D.784

Well, since a number of people are piling on to Bill Charlap, I will suggest another view. Unfortunately Charlap's Bernstein album as well as he other fairly recent albums on Blue Note are not good examples of what I like so much about his playing. Larry compared his playing to Barbara Carrol and Marian McPartland from the 1950's at the Hickory House. I strongly disagree. Barbara Carrol's playing never seemed more to me than perfectly acceptable cocktail music. Though I came to quite enjoy many much later sessions by Marian McPartland, her Hickory House period , in my opinion, lacked substance and was not close to her far better later albums on Concord, Halycon and perhaps another label. To my ears Bill Charlap is a master of taking the many popular tunes from the great American Songbook and enriching them harmonically and rhythmically so that they are terrific. his playing says far far more to me than those early albums by Carrol and McPartland. Charlap is not a bebop pianist, so I hear no influence from Bud Powell, Barry Harris or Sonny Clark. He also does not follow in the footsteps of pianists such as McCoy Tyner, or Herbie Hancock or Chick Corea. In certain ways he seems to follow the lineage of Teddy Wilson , Hank Jones, Eddie Higgins and Jimmy Rowles, though he does not sound like any of them. There are many jazz pianists who I very much enjoy listening to from both the past and the present. Let me give one example that will be unacceptable to many. As much as I enjoy listening to Red Garland's trio recordings, I find them much less interesting than the trio dates by Bill Charlap on both Criss Cross and Venus. I have never accepted the view that it was illegitimate to play the music in the style associated with the past. Of course my opinion is very personal, but if I enjoy Mainstream Swing, or Bebop, or Hard Bop, or West Coast Jazz, I see nothing at all wrong with younger musicians who find that a musically satisfying direction. Each musician hopefully brings something of his or her self into their playing, but no style should be out of bounds. Some listeners want everything they hear to be in line with the current most up yo date styles of jazz. They may make exceptions for the dead masters, but anyone younger than 35 or 40 is expected to show they are up to date, whatever that means. Remember Bill Charlap is 54 years old, no longer a youngster just staring out. He grew up listening to and playing with many musicians older than himself and to playing and learning from them. I listen to music for basic enjoyment. Some styles are for me highly appealing, some not so much.