First off, I had the great good fortune to actually be in attendance that week at the Vanguard when they were recording the music that eventually became this album. I had heard that Charlap was a must see artist and I was not disappointed. It was an extraordinary trio and I remember being absolutely blown away by the swing, the musicality and the rapport this trio had. I've been seeing jazz for many years and it was without a doubt one of the best trios I had ever seen.

Immediately afterwards, I logged onto to Amazon and purchased several Charlap albums including the Bernstein Album and Stardust. They are both fine albums but they did not send me in the way that the music I heard at the Vanguard did and I did not think they captured the groove these guys were able to hit when I saw them live. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when this album came out. And indeed, it magically brings back to life the incredible music I saw that night. I can say without a doubt that every track is superb and it has quickly become one of my all time favorite jazz albums. I've listened to it at least 100 times now and I simply don't get tired of it. This is a classic jazz trio at the pinacle of the form. If you want to discover what Charlap and his trio is all about, this is the album to get.

Any fan of Dave Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones,or Tommy Flanigan will enjoy the Bill Charlap trio. These CD's would make excellent "stock stuffers" for the jazz fan in your life or family. I highly recommend!

Although my favorite Bill Charlap CD is "Written in the Stars," this offering has excellent sound quality and is almost as good as the trio's live shows. I saw the group at two Village Vanguard shows in November, 2007 and if you can't make to the club, buy the CD.

Fans of Bill Charlap cannot go wrong with this one. If you have seen him in person this will bring back the experience.

Bill Charlap is monster jazz pianist with a wealth of ideas and flawless technique. His trio is well rehearsed and play real arrangements as opposed to just blowing through a bunch old standard chestnuts. His ballad rendition of "Paper Moon" is bluesy and introspective. The uptempo tunes are prime examples of swinging creativity and fun. I bought this after seeing him in concert. I believe I saw a better performance, but this is still worth the "cover charge".