Mary Lou Williams
emerged in the early '70s after a long period in which she worked in the Catholic church to resume her always stimulating career as a jazz pianist. On this CD reissue, one of her finest recordings of her later years has been brought back and augmented by two previously unissued performances.
Williams
performs in duos and trios with bassist
Bob Cranshaw
and drummer
Mickey Roker
, uses
Zita Carno
on second piano during a couple of the more avant-garde pieces, and also performs some trios with bassist
Milton Suggs
and
Tony Waters
on congas. Rather than sounding like a veteran of the 1920s,
sounds 40 years younger, shows the influence of
McCoy Tyner
, and hints at free jazz in spots. An often surprising set of modern jazz. ~ Scott Yanow