Walton, Cedar
High Note, 2002, CD
Instrument: Piano
Issue: 8.4w
Jazz Ruler Type: Latin
Performance: 4-
Sound: 3+
Score: 
O’s Notes: Pianist Cedar Walton adds Latin highlights to his bebop, a little bossa nova, some Afro-Cuban and a dash of Spanish/Portuguese. He’s in a trio with percussionist, Ray Mantilla and Chucho Martinez on bass. The nine songs are 2/3 Latin classics and 1/3 new Walton compositions – all based on a solid jazz foundation. No matter how it’s characterized (seems like Brazilian to us) Cedar excels on piano, gently dancing across the keys with complementary, dazzling arrays that awaken your senses in a way that is always pleasing, never pungent.
