Storyville Records Solo Piano [VINYL]

Tommy Flanagan was known for his tasteful, flawless and swinging piano playing - he added class to every session that he was involved with and fortunately it was well documented during the latter part of his career. 'Solo Piano' was not initially released until decades after its 1974 recording and was reissued by Storyville in 2021, and is now available on vinyl for the first time. It is significant historically because this outing was the pianist's first recording as a leader in 13 years and, most importantly, because it is very good music. 'Solo Piano' offers listeners some very enjoyable music from the great pianist and includes a few surprises, particularly for those who think of Flanagan as primarily a bop stylist. On swing-oriented numbers such as "Isn't It Romantic," "Sleeping Bee" and "Yesterdays," Flanagan always kept the melody close by even while creating improvised variations. One never has a problem knowing where the pianist is for he builds his improvisations off of the melody rather than simply discarding the theme in favour of jamming over its chord changes. He follows those classic songs with an infectious version of "Stompin' At The Savoy" that manages to sound both vintage and modern. To conclude the enjoyable program, Flanagan performs a song apiece by three great composers of the bebop era (Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma," Tadd Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now," and Thelonious Monk's "Ruby, My Dear") before ending the set with a joyful rendition of "Lover." Flanagan passed away on Nov. 16, 2001 at the age of 71 but he has never been forgotten. 'Solo Piano' adds to his impressive musical legacy.