Dan Siegel - Sphere (2009)

Personnel: Dan Siegel (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ); Allen Hinds (guitar); Brian Bromberg (acoustic bass); Joel Taylor (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion).

No artist captures the sense of heartfelt freewheeling joy and creativity better than Dan Siegel, whose 1987 album Northern Nights launched the keyboardist to instrumental stardom during ambitious early days of the contemporary jazz format. Siegel brilliantly blends the melodic and rhythmic pop sensibilities he's famous for with traditional jazz roots on his new release Sphere, which features some top L.A. players: bassists Brian Bromberg and Alex Al, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, percussionist Lenny Castro, drummer Joel Taylor and guitarists Allen Hinds and Darrell Crooks. He also reaches back across the years for some bona fide superstar contributions by contemporary jazz legends Larry Carlton and Tom Scott. It's a true full circle effect, as Carlton and Scott first recorded with the keyboardist on Siegel's 1982 self-titled Elektra album. 'Some of the songs on this album reminded me of music I recorded in the old days, so it made sense to bring Larry and Tom on board to add the same kind of magic. My goal with Sphere was to explore the acoustic route and essentially create my own unique vibe, rather than chase commercial airplay as many artists do these days,' says Siegel.