ATLANTIC JAZZ: KEYBOARDS

Rhino's various artists/sampler series focuses on keyboards on this release, with cuts from 13 players. The opening track features {|Jimmy Yancey|}'s sparkling boogie piano, and continues through several styles from {|Erroll Garner|}'s flashy solos through {|Thelonious Monk|}'s amazing bop improvisations, {|John Lewis|}' sedate, sophisticated phrases, {|Lennie Tristano|}'s intricate material, and bluesier fare from {|Ray Charles|}, {|Junior Mance|}, and {|Les McCann|}. {|Keith Jarrett|} and {|Chick Corea|} take more adventurous directions, while {|The Mitchell-Ruff duo|} with drummer {|Charlie Smith|} falls somewhere in the center. The set's compositional variety and artist lineup is impressive; while none of these tracks qualify as particularly rare or obscure, they show the wealth of keyboard talent once on the Atlantic roster.