Michel Petrucciani - Playground (1991)

Front Cover	Album Info
	Artist/Composer Michel Petrucciani Title Playground Length 40:02 Discs: 1 Tracks: 11 Format HQ 192+ kbps Packaging Jewel Case Label Blue Note Cat. Number B2-95480 Style Post-Bop Rating N/A Recorded 1991  at  Sound Studios, Astoria, NY

Musicians	Credits
Michel Petrucciani piano Adam Holzman synthesizers Omar Hakim drums Steve Thornton percussion Anthony Jackson bass Aldo Romano drums	Producer Michel Petrucciani Producer Eric Kressmann Engineer Tom Swift Mastering Jose Rodriques

Track list

01 September Second (Petrucciani) 04:46 02 Home (Petrucciani) 05:31 03 P'tit Louis (Petrucciani) 04:36 04 Miles Davis' Licks (Petrucciani) 04:30 05 Rachid (Petrucciani) 03:28 06 Brazilian Suite #3 (Petrucciani) 02:36 07 Play School (Petrucciani) 03:07 08 Contradictions (Petrucciani) 03:02 09 Laws Of Physics (Holzman) 04:49 10 Piango, Pay The Man (Petrucciani) 01:56 11 Like That (Petrucciani) 01:41

Notes

AMG Review (4): Pianist Michel Petrucciani, who during the early part of his career was heavily influenced by Bill Evans, gradually developed his own sound. By 1991 he was using Adam Holzman on synthesizer with his quintet (which on this date also includes bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Omar Hakim and percussionist Steve Thornton) to play colors behind his piano. In addition, Petrucciani was backed by funky rhythms and emphasized his own original compositions. Rather than selling out to blatant commercialism, Petrucciani had actually found his own voice within the "contemporary" setting. The music on his CD is of consistently high quality (despite a few too many fadeouts). Highlights include "Miles Davis' Licks" (a blues that utilizes some of Davis' late-period nursery rhyme melodies), the intense "Brazilian Suite #3," a playful jam on "Laws of Physics" and the Keith Jarrett-ish "P'tit Louis." Actually, all 11 of Michel Petrucciani's originals are worth hearing and, despite the brief playing time (39 minutes) of this CD, it is recommended. — Scott Yanow