Although often associated with R&B,
Bobby Lyle is also a fine jazz pianist. This CD is a rare set of unaccompanied piano solos and is one of
Lyle's finest recordings. At times he recalls the likes of
McCoy Tyner,
Ramsey Lewis and even
Roger Kellaway, although his soulful style is generally quite original. Even with the emphasis on relaxed rhapsodic ballads,
Lyle includes a few departures, including "The Christmas Song" (on which he uses a subtle string synthesizer to conjure up
Nat Cole's version), the
McCoy Tyner-ish "Eastern Lady" and the soulful "Blues All Day." Excellent music. ~ Scott Yanow