Junior Mance - Softly as in a Morning Sunrise (1994)

This 1994 CD gives listeners an excellent example of pianist Junior Mance's playing. Featured in a trio with bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Bobby Durham, Mance performs a wide-ranging set that includes a few originals, blues, and standards (including "Broadway," "Lady Bird" and the title cut) that he practically turns into the blues. Mance's style, which mixes bop, R&B and soul-jazz, is quite appealing and is heard in its prime throughout this splendid session.