Denny Zeitlin
Labyrinth: Live Solo Piano
Sunnyside Records
www.Dennyzeitlin.com

Michel Camilo
Mano A Mano
Decca Records
www.umusic.com
By George W. Harris

Here are a pair of guys that have never let me down at the piano. Always having something important to say, but never in the “first tier” of fame, they’ve built up a catalogue that is nonetheless impressive.

Dr Denny Zeitlin has made a career outside of his work as a psychiatrist. As a doctor myself, every time I listen to his music, I think to myself, “I should refer some people to him; judging by his music he’s GOT to be a great healer. This latest release has him musically counseling an audience at a series of concerts in Sebastopol California in 08 and 10. He his presentation of solos during songs like Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” and Tadd Dameron’s “Lazy Bird” that are logical, well crafted without a trace of glibness. Ballads and slower tempos abound here, allowing Zeitlin to intricately examine material like “Dancing In The Dark” with an otoscope like clarity. This is a solo piece you’ll quickly become long time friends with.

Michel Camilo is usually one of the last pianists that you’d think of when you consider subdued masters of the ivories, but he joins up here with long time buddies Giovanni Hidalgo/perc and Charles Flores/d for a collection of gently orange-burning embers. Yes, there are some sizzlers like “Yes” and the title track which amply display Camilo’s digital prowess, but the technique even here is never overdone. Latinized versions of Coltrane’s “Naima” and Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder” add a gentle picante flavor to these chestnuts, while swaying sambas like “No Left Turn” or the seductive “Rumba Pa Ti” mix Hidalgo’s palms with Camilo’s fingertips to perfection. Romantic as a secret latin lover.