JoAnne Brackeen
One of the few major women jazz musicians, pianist Brackeen is still relatively unknown even though she has played with the Art Blakey and Stan Getz groups and recorded eight previous LPs on her own. The reason may be that she doesn't compromise; she wrote all the songs on this album, and a couple of them—Carmel Tea and The Grant—delve ambitiously into harmonies and rhythms an ocean or two removed even from mainstream modern jazz. She can be more accessible, though, with flashes reminiscent of Keith Jarrett, Cecil Taylor and Marian McPartland. This is a demanding if not totally rewarding album, recommended for serious jazz fans.
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