Artist In Residence

Pianist Moran delivers another set of accessible modern jazz with creative, outside touches. Track 1 is a pop anomaly, while the rest of the CD explores different territories: Strange percussion and backgrounds spice up some otherwise ordinary tracks (6,8); some serious, classical-minded touches appear (2,10); and some tracks just get into wild soloing (3,8). Some of the "outside" attempts don't feel organic, probably an effect of the glossy sheen Blue Note puts on the session, but it's a likeable effort.

1- Snappy hip-hop feel with sampled vocal. Bright, mid/fast
2- Sad song w/operatic vocal, into a restrained jazzy brew
3- Fast, stomping solo over a plodding rhythm
4- Classical piano w/scratchy percussion sounds. Eh.
5- Solo piano tracking a spoken monologue. Slowish, relaxed
6- Lightly chaotic; a music box that's been hacked. Midtempo piano noodlings over rattly percussion
7- Gentle boogie-woogie rolling
8- Led by trumpet, w/weird guitar/percussion. Wacky piano later
9- Gospel/anthemic, starts out simple but gets stormy and big
10- Classical feel, delicate. Mid/slow and mysterious.