This CD by veteran pianist
Ray Sherman is a bit unusual in that he accompanies himself on piano, bass, guitar, vibes, tenor sax, flügelhorn, drums, and a string section by using a MIDI, which would on the surface seem to fly in the face of the philosophy of Arbors Jazz, a very heavy (but not exclusively) traditional jazz label. But
Ray Sherman is no Muzak pretender wanting to explore jazz for the first time -- he's been playing jazz for a living since 1939, and he knows how to incorporate this versatile instrument into his arrangements without letting it distract from his first-rate piano playing. "Here's That Rainy Day" has a string section more reminiscent of a theater organ, while the jaunty arrangement of "Little Rock Getaway" features some swinging simulated vibes and "Honky Tonk Train Blues" is particularly campy. This CD should open some minds to the possibilities of electronics who normally stick exclusively to acoustic instruments. ~ Ken Dryden