Mary Louise Knutson - Call Me When You Get There (2001)

High-quality jazz is practically everywhere. For proof of that statement, this CD from a Minnesota-based pianist can serve as evidence. Mary Louis Knutson is an excellent jazz player whose voicings sometimes recall Bill Evans but who has developed a lyrical style of her own. Joined by bassist Gordon Johnson and either Marc Rio, Phil Hey, or Craig Hara on drums, the pianist plays five mostly relaxed versions of familiar standards (including "Tangerine," "On Green Dolphin Street," and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face"). However, it is her five originals that are of greatest interest, for she has a talent for coming up with fresh melodies. "Merle the Pearl," "Meridian," and "Call Me When You Get There" each sticks in one's mind and, if this local CD received some national attention, it is possible that a couple of the originals would catch on. Well-worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow