Mark Soskin: Solo Piano

Pianist Mark Soskin, though best known for his 12-year collaboration with Sonny Rollins, proves a powerful soloist in this fresh outing for Vartan Jazz. Like Concord’s gallery of Maybeck Hall recitals, the sound quality is excellent. As a result, even the subtlest nuances of Soskin’s stunning architecture shine. In the opener, a lovingly recast “Yesterdays,” Soskin establishes a compelling style at once sophisticated and spontaneous. His sparkling variations on Brubeck’s lilting “In Your Own Sweet Way” further the impression. Whether re-defining standards or essaying originals like “Little Fingers,” Soskin draws us in with beguiling melodic-harmonic gestes set atop a kinetic pastel-to-neon spectrum. This is chamber jazz of great craft-and imagination. As such, it’s a date that promises to give pleasure for years to come.

Originally Published November 1, 1997