Joey Calderazzo - Secrets (1995)

Joey Calderazzo may not have achieved the acclaim of some of the pianists of his generation like Benny Green and Bill Charlap, but he has consistently created CDs that stand the test of time. These 1995 sessions for Audio Quest feature him leading a variety of different ensembles ranging from trios to octets with potent arrangements by Bob Belden. Six of the eight tracks are Calderazzo's compositions, highlighted by the infectious horn lines in his rhythmic "Echoes" and the wistful air of "Last Visit Home." His trio with bassist James Genus and drummer Clarence Penn are afire in his driving "No One Knows Why I'm Here" and the explosive "ATM." Belden's setting of Miles Davis' "Filles de Kilimenjaro" has an exotic air with the addition of guitarist Fareed Haque and Charles Pillow's English horn. This is a rewarding disc that deserves to be more widely known.