Spike Wilner (Spike Wilner Solo Piano) [Live At Smalls]

Beautiful and expansive solo reading of some of the most- and least-played standards in the jazz lexicon. Spike Wilner flows seemlessly from refreshing performances of "Tea For Two," "Gone With The Wind," and "I Can't Get Started" to classic compositions that have rarely been recorded in his generation, including the Ellington/Sigman composition "All Too Soon," the Scott Joplin treasure "Elite Syncopations," and Hoagy Carmichael/Frank Loesser's "Two Sleepy People." Wilner's decades of experience shine on the latter cut, where he skillfully exhibits how the power of soft touch, thoughtful counterpoint, and an almost classical grace can bring a whole new dimension to a stylistic genre that is more often associate with rocking in rhythm. 5 stars.