Bright Idea

Reviewed: 2018-02-04
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: versatile pianist with a stellar set of mainly originals. Murphy achieves an energetic vitality on the session, and throughout the album, there is generosity, reciprocity and the desire to make memorable and triumphant music.
If You Like: McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
**1/ Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (7:24) – piano starts> uptempo jam> piano solo> bass solo> drum solo> fast jam> crescendo & fade
*2/ Happy (3:49) – piano starts> bouncy uptempo jam on Rhodes> Rhodes solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
*3/ Bright Idea (7:21) – drums star > fast jam> bass solo> piano solo> fast jam> quick fade
4/ Earthlings (6;29) – piano starts> slow jam builds to midtempo> piano solo> bass solo> slow jam> crescendo end
5/ 24K Magic (2:45) – Rhodes starts> midtempo jam> piano solo> quick stop
*6/ Street Cats (4:59) – piano starts> slow jam> piano solo swings into lightning fast jam> bass solo> fast jam slows to fade
*7/ Finer Things (5:11) – drums/piano starts> uptempo jam slows briefly> synth solo> uptempo jam mellows to midtempo> piano solo slows then swings into uptempo jam> quick fade
8/ For My Mom (7:10) – piano starts> slow jam builds to midtempo> piano solo> bass solo> midtempo jam> crescendo end
*9/ Straight No Blues (4:43) -full band starts> uptempo jam> bass solo> drums solo> uptempo jam> crescendo end
*10/ Moving Violation (8:39) – piano starts> slow jam swings to fast tempo> piano solo> builds to a crescendo, then slows to slow jam> bass solo swings back to uptempo jam> drum solo> slow jam to stop
11/ Well. Of All Things (6:11) – piano starts> slow jam swings to midtempo> piamo solo> slow fade
*12/ Untitled Original 11383 (6:38) – piano starts> uptempo jam> piano solo> bass solo> uptempo jam with drum fills> fade
13/ Juneteenth Notes (4:13) – drums start> midtempo jam swings into uptempo with drums up front> drum solo> uptempo jam> quick stop