Live from New York to Tokyo

This two-fer reissue combines two live albums released by in the 1980s, , featuring pianist and drummer along with bassist , recorded at nightclub in New York in November and December 1985, and , with the trio consisting of , , and drummer , cut in December 1988 at the 2,000-seat in Toyko. , whom had lured from obscurity and retirement in Idaho, was something of the bassist's protege during this period, so it is not surprising that actually takes a back seat on much of the music here, allowing to be showcased. To listen to these albums, you would think , not , was the leader. The bassist does reserve at least one important solo for himself in each set, giving an expressive arco introduction to the surprising selection (the song) on the first disc and returning to the bow on an attractive interpretation of 's from on the second. also gets some spotlight time on the second disc, notably with a showy solo during and a hand-drumming part in But it's who carries the programs in each concert, and he proves an imaginative soloist, particularly during a version of in Tokyo that has the enthusiastic audience clapping along. The pianist could ask for nothing more than the platform has provided for him on these albums. ~ William Ruhlmann