This set of unaccompanied piano solos features
Marcus Roberts interpreting three
Jelly Roll Morton, six
Duke Ellington and six
Thelonious Monk songs.
Morton gets a bit shortchanged, with "Jungle Blues," "New Orleans Blues" and "The Crave" emphasizing the Spanish tinge in his music, but only certain aspects of his style. However,
Roberts has
Ellington (best is "Shout 'Em Aunt Tillie") and
Monk (mostly lesser-known songs) down quite well. Already at this early stage,
Marcus Roberts had a fairly encyclopedic style, updating older idioms with his own voice, displaying an eccentric stride style and using some modern harmonies. Excellent music. ~ Scott Yanow