Michel Camilo: Solo (2004)

Terrell Kent Holmes

Contributor since 2003

Loves jazz, astronomy, and the Yankees.

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Published: January 24, 2005

Piano virtuoso Michel Camilo has plied his trade in various settings—trios mostly, but in duos and big bands as well—so the time must have seemed right for him to put out a solo work which, while not necessarily completing his discography, would certainly deepen it. Solo , a diverse blend of originals and standards, bears Camilo's unmistakable stamp and is a welcome addition to his already impressive oeuvre.

Camilo introduces the listener to his fluid technique with his composition "A Dream," where he shifts gracefully between major and minor chords. "Minha (All Mine)," a Bill Evans favorite, is hypnotic and bursts with color. Camilo gives Gershwin's "Our Love Is Here To Stay" a stride reading, while "Reflections" is played in guajira, the approximate Caribbean equivalent of the blues, with Camilo showcasing his wicked right hand.

To show that he's an equal opportunity transliterator, Camilo arranges "'Round Midnight" as a delightfully wry tango. "Atras Da Porta" is easily the most tender moment on the disc and he makes single note phrases sparkle on "Someone To Watch Over Me."

"Un Son" is another Camilo original which brings to mind what Keith Jarrett might sound like playing a samba. "Frim Fram Sauce," a minor classic popularized by Nat "King" Cole, is given a slow blues interpretation which keeps it as close to its true identity as Camilo will allow. Camilo ends the disc with "Suntan," a tune he has played in other settings and which serves as a kind of identifying gene running throughout his work, evolving within each context and placing a singular exclamation point on this excellent release.

Track Listing: 1) A Dream; 2) Minha (All Mine); 3) Our Love Is Here To Stay; 4) Reflections; 5) Luiza; 6) 'Round Midnight; 7) Atras Da Porta; 8) Someone To Watch Over Me; 9) Un Son; 10) The Frim Fram Sauce; 11) Corcovado (Quiet Nights); 12) Suntan.

Personnel: Michel Camilo-piano.

Record Label: Telarc Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream