Negative Positive
Title: Outside Jazz comes in
Review: Myra Melford's achievement is considerable. She comes from the leading (if not bleeding) edge of jazz with melodic, lyrical and harmonically very inviting music. Not that she panders in the least, but she seems to have a natural knack for extroverted playing and composing, not unlike her mentor Henry Threadgill. She's also a terrific pianist who might remind you a bit of a more fluid and concise Cecil Taylor or harmonically wilder Don Pullen, but I wouldn't call her an imitator of anyone.On this recording she's joined by some very fine horn players (Dave Douglas, Chris Speed), and she lets them play. Her own playing is at once virtuosic and effective. There is a free, improvisational feel to this music, but it always holds together with just enough structure.Good stuff - we need more musicians like Myra Melford.
Is the review positive or negative? 