Denny Zeitlin: Mr. P.C.

Back on his first leader date in 1964, Denny Zeitlin chose a lengthy minor blues ("Blue Phoenix") as the centerpiece of his trio album. Four decades later, Zeitlin features a different extended minor blues as the launching pad for a trio project. In both instances, Zeitlin incorporates unexpected tempo changes into the performance, juxtaposes ensemble and solo passages, and generally impresses with his chops. This version of "Mr. P.C." starts out at a very fast clip, dangerously close to 400 beats per minute. Williams and Wilson deserve kudos for swinging with gusto at this frantic pace. But they soon fade out, and let Zeitlin loose on a solo excursion. He covers all the basesfrom cerebral to sensitivebefore letting his bandmates join in on the fun. This artist has never enjoyed widespread fame, but I assure you that other pianists take him quite seriously. I remember a poll that Gene Lees conducted among keyboardists some years back, asking them about the piano peers they admired. Zeitlin finished toward the top of the listall the more remarkable when you consider that he has spent most of his career in medicine, with jazz as a sideline only.