Hal Galper - Live At Maybeck Recital Hall Vol. 6 (1990)

A deeply rewarding solo recital by one of the unsung masters of jazz piano. Whether delving into the post-bop canon with Benny Golson's "Whisper Not," Thelonious Monk's "Bemsha Swing," or Sonny Rollins' "Airegin," or tapping seldom-heard entries from the Songbook such as Kurt Weill's "It Never Was You" or Ray Noble's "The Touch of Your Lips," Galper goes about each task armed with a keen rhythmic sense and a fount of harmonic knowledge. He's a jazz pianist through and through, lacking the ultra-precise technique that classical training has bestowed on some of his fellow players. But he can unleash his own kind of flash when he needs to -- witness his short-and-sweet tour de force "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm." For the best glimpse of Galper's foolproof internal metronome, check out "A Kiss to Build a Dream On." Time that solid is the result of playing with countless rhythm sections, on countless bandstands. Even in a solo setting, Galper is hearing a band. -- David R. Adler