Nope, different John Lewis. This one has had a long career alternating between piano and drums.

Keys and drums: Straight jazz, improvised in long (14-22 minute) jams. (A similar idea, with more variety, permeates the Max Roach/Dizzy Gillespie CD that's in our library.) I'm unclear whether this is *the* John Lewis of Modern Jazz Quartet fame (who died in 2001); it sure looks like it could be, which might make this one of his last recordings (and it says "Volume One," so there could be more to come.

Overall upbeat stuff, plenty of bebop and blues influence, very accessible -- don't expect a reprise of the duets Ali did with Coltrane back in the day. Neither should you expect MJQ-style politeness; this (if it's *the* John Lewis) is Lewis cutting loose a bit.

Recording quality seems rather poor. The copyright date says 2002 but it arrived on our doorstep early in 2007.

One big *FCC* problem: Every track, except maybe #2, has a few seconds of swear words after the music ends.

1- Casual Harlem stroll on piano. Steady for 13 minutes, then a "tease" ending leading into a slower section of piano.

2- Sharp, stabbing, swingy drums and light organ. Gets nicely exploratory while building off a strolling rhythm.

3- Organ. Starts off midtempo and sweeping, with the same happy feel as the other tracks. Switches into some ineresting, tangly piano at a medium pace with staggery drums. Gets more spacious towards the end, with both piano and organ, and some space-opening drums from Ali.

4- Organ and piano mix. Spritely, fairly fast. Cools a bit for some nicely soulful piano towards the end.