Geoffrey Keezer & Friends: Playdate

One of the more important voices on the West Coast is pianist Geoffrey Keezer, who’s made a living as the pianist for a wide range of vocalists as well as being a sideman for hard boppers ranging from Benny Golson to Christian McBride. Here, he shows his skills at arranging and composition teamed with a core of Shedrick Mitchell/B3, Ron Blake/ts-ss, Richie Goods/b and Kendrick Scott/dr along with some cameo guests. He brings in guitarist Aayush Karnik for the ambitious and multi-mooded “Refuge”, a wondrous journey of sounds, while “M’s Medtime Blues” is a get down shuffle with Blake tapping into his inner “Lockjaw” Davis. Blake is likewise bluesy on “I.L.Y.B.D” while his soprano is romantic with Keezer on the lovely “Her Look, Her Touch”. Guitarist Nir Felder rocks hard on “Tomorrow” and Keezer brings in some lovely string sounds for a gorgeously melancholic “Bebah”. The wide breadth of the tunes reflects Keezer’s ability to make any type of session come off as a winner, as this one is.

www.geoffreykeezer.com

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