Pianist
Aaron Goldberg has an intriguing style that is a little reminiscent of
Marian McPartland in its harmonic sophistication. Although seven of the ten selections on
Worlds are his originals, several hint at various standards, most notably "Unstablemates," a witty de-construction of
Benny Golson's "Stablemates." The interplay between
Goldberg, bassist
Reuben Rogers, and drummer
Eric Harland is consistently inventive, and
Luciana Souza adds her haunting voice to "Kianda's Song." However, the high point of this CD is "Oud to Omer," which matches
Goldberg with guest guitarist
Kurt Rosenwinkel. The two musicians bring out the best in each other and plenty of sparks fly, making one hope that
Goldberg and
Rosenwinkel work together more often. ~ Scott Yanow