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The tinkling piano of Peter Nero – heard to great effect on these two 60s albums for RCA! On Impressions, the sweet piano of Peter Nero takes on the music of Burt Bacharach – all with results that are every bit as groovy as you might expect! There's a bit more punch to the record than some of Nero's other 60s outings – possibly from the arrangement help from Frank Hunter, but maybe just from the original tunes themselves – which seem to allow for a syncopated punch that really brings out some of Peter's boldest work on piano. The whole thing's great – an overlooked 60s easy gem – and titles include "Wives & Lovers," "Walk On By," "Who Is Gonna Love Me," "Alfie," "This Guy's In Love With You," and "Look of Love." Love Is Blue really soars with great arrangements from Frank Hunter – an artist who often knows how to bring in a subtle soulful feel to the music – an aspect that really helps Peter Nero mature a bit on records like these, and come across with a really groovy sound! The tracks are mostly late 60s numbers – and titles include "Love Is Blue", "The Happy Time", "Sunny", "Windy", "The Glory Of Love", "Theme From The Fox", and "I Say A Little Prayer".

A totally excellent album! Sure, Peter Nero could be one of the sleepier piano players of the 60s – but on this little gem, he's playing moog, and it sounds great! Nero's taking moog to the sweet soundtrack groovers "Midnight Cowboy" and The Windmills Of Your Mind" – which both come out in a dark spooky style, and "Windmills" sounds especially great, as it begins with a moogy breakbeat that would make Perry-Kingsley weep! Moog's also heard on "Be In" and "Let the Sunshine In" from Hair – and the album also includes 4 other numbers from Galt MacDermot's funky musical, like "Aquarius", "Hair", and "Good Morning Starshine". Frank Hunter did the arrangments – and there's a lot of nice funk running through the LP!

Tremendous duets between reedman Peter Brotzmann and drummer Hamid Drake – two players who are no strangers to each other after all these years, yet who still manage to come together in a way that's always fresh and compelling! The double-length album features long tracks spun out over two full LPs – with energy that builds at a level that almost takes us back to New York loft jazz of the 70s – with a sense of soul and spirit you don't always get from Brotzmann in other settings, and even on some of his other recordings with Drake. Peter plays alto, tenor, tarogato, and b flat clarinet – and Drake is stunning on the conventional drum kit, which he works in ways that still leave us breathless – as well as some of his unique percussion on a hand drum too. Titles include "Pitch A Bull", "Poppa Stoppa", "Streevus Mone On The Reevus Come", "Strike & Fade", and "Us Own Things".

A frenetic stormer from the group of pianist Marc Riordan – a tight combo who work here with a great old school approach to modern jazz! There's a strong sense of unity to the group – a really well-conceived vision built around Riordan's wonderful piano lines – angular, well-stated, and with this mix of unusual notes that really recalls Herbie Nichols or Elmo Hope! Marc's got a way of playing that's incredibly inventive, yet somehow always "right" too – notes that shouldn't work together so way, especially as each new one is introduced – but which resonate together beautifully in a cohesively soulful sound. Other group members are equally strong – and include Peter Hanson on alto, Daniel Thatcher on bass, and Tim Daisy on drums – on titles that include "Little Dog", "Funometer", "Lesson Learned", "Binoculars", and "I'll Text You" – plus a version of Monk's "A Merrier Christmas".