Colors in Bloomington, MN

Pianist
Crosara
uses mostly acoustic piano and some Fender Rhodes to play jazz in a manner unmistakably linked to
Chick Corea
. He has that bouncy, light, leprechaun-like feel and hyper-melodic, slightly Latin tinge that is all things
Chick
. There are some change-ups, employing Chicago tenor saxophone veteran
Von Freeman
on five cuts, one also with vocalist
Claudia Perez
for the Portuguese lyrics on
"Passion/Paixao,"
and using synthesizer for the aforementioned cut and on a complex
"Plutonium 239,"
a time shifting dramatic open with free section from
Freemen
to a hard bop to swinging blues and back multi-faceted original. There are many tender moments where
puts
Corea
a bit aside, like the beautiful intro of
"Dolphin Dance"
before
Freeman
comes in late on the second time through the melody. His solo interpretation of
"Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most"
cascades, flowing into repeated statements that eventually hint at stride. The slightly flat
is masterful on the title track, a piano-tenor duo ballad, and the rhythm section joins them for
"I Loves You Porgy/Bess, You Is My Woman."
A funky 6/8 Rhodes driven
"Someday My Prince Will Come"
with trio, and the marvelous twelve-and-a-half minute
"Suite Venus"
(recorded in Honolulu with Hawaiian jazzsters) on acoustic piano and Rhodes really rams the point across:
being the main influence on
's musical thinking. There's no real rehash here, and
is still doing this type of jazz better than ever. But on the ground floor
has considerable talent, and can look upwards to the next few higher floors to visit the musical forever he seeks. ~ Michael G. Nastos