Hal Galper - Wild Bird (2017)

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by pianist Hal Galper – and that's saying a lot, given his huge legacy of records! This set has Hal working in a strongly electric mode – using an electric piano with the same sort of spacious qualities he could bring to acoustic – never jamming as hard as some of his more dynamic 70s contemporaries, but in a really great way that creates a special energy on the record – not just for Galper, but also for the groupmates, who really seem to bring out their best. The lineup includes Randy Brecker on trumpet and Michael Brecker on tenor and soprano sax – both playing in the darker edges of their sound – and the record also features guitar, bass, and drums. Some moments are funky, but the real stand out tracks have an even more special electric vibe – and titles include "This Moment", "Whatever", "Wild Bird", and "Change Up".