AMG Review of Modern Standards

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

On this set, pianist David Hazeltine performs songs from the 1960s and '70s. While "Witchcraft," "Who Can I Turn To," "Moment to Moment," "A Time for Love," and "Somewhere" (along with, to a lesser extent, "A House Is Not a Home") have all long ago qualified as jazz standards, the other selections, by the Beatles, the Bee Gees, and the Isley Brothers, are a bit off the wall. However, Hazeltine manages to swing each of them, turning the music into viable devices for his trio. Certainly "How Deep Is Your Love" has never been swung this hard. The overall playing is high quality if conventional, with the repertoire and Hazeltine's inventive solos (along with his close interplay with bassist David Williams and drummer Joe Farnsworth) making this outing stand apart from many of the other current trio recordings.