John Hicks was very much in demand during the last two decades of his life, often releasing several CDs annually for a variety of labels. This 1997 studio session for Venus finds the pianist playing in his favorite setting, with a trio consisting of bassist
Dwayne Burno and the phenomenal drummer
Victor Lewis. Starting with the standard "Witchcraft,"
Hicks offers a swinging yet elegant performance. Most of the session focuses on ballads, highlighted by his spacious, insightful scoring of "Beautiful Love" and a strolling, bluesy take of the usually bittersweet "You Don't Know What Love Is." It's challenging to find fresh ground to explore in a warhorse like "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise," though
Hicks' light yet breezy arrangement gives one an opportunity to hear
Burno's tasty bass work. The sole jazz composition of the date is the final track, a cooking rendition of
Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues" that leaves the listener wanting more from the trio.