Johnny Costa's second of four Chiaroscuro CDs was recorded between 1990 and 1992, featuring the longtime music director for the public television series Mr. Rogers Neighborhood playing solo piano. Though
Costa was unfamiliar to most jazz fans who never saw the program, his tremendous chops, which show the influence of
Teddy Wilson,
Art Tatum, and others, tend to win listeners over quickly. These sessions primarily focus on standards from the swing era and earlier, among them venerable chestnuts like "Manhattan" and "Over the Rainbow." Later pieces include a playful "On Green Dolphin Street," a buoyant "Bluesette," and a pair of compelling originals.
Costa also shares his thoughts about performing in a few minutes of spoken commentary at the conclusion of the CD. ~ Ken Dryden