The Tapscott Sessions, Vol. 10

The late Horace Tapscott was one of the great jazz pianists of the past forty years yet, because he made relatively few recordings and spent much of his career in Los Angeles, he is largely unknown outside of L.A. In the early 1980s, Tapscott recorded a lengthy series of piano solos for the Nimbus West label. Gradually, they have been getting released with Vol. 10 recently coming out for the first time. Tapscott had a very original style that could be free but melodic, adventurous yet always lyrical. He kept the melody of the themes in mind yet was never predictable or easy to classify. On Vol. 10, Horace Tapscott performs John Lewis' "Afternoon in Paris" along with eight of his own lesser-known originals. His interpretations are generally episodic, going through several moods, particularly the longer pieces such as the beautiful if sometimes stormy jazz waltz "Ballad for Samuel" and "First Love." He plays both inside and outside of the chord changes, hints at the past in spots (particularly when he strides gently on "Searching" or shows off his roots in bop) and his playing never loses one's attention. One can hear Tapscott thinking aloud and his thoughts are philosophical, wistful and swinging in their own fashion. This solo recital (the listed recording date is an estimate) and its predecessors are well-worth checking out, helping new listeners to discover this under-recognized musical giant.