Critical Acclaim:
SOLO:
"…he is an improvisational artist whose skills are so expansive that he can integrate everything he hears into the fabric of his soloing. In the best sense, in the manner that has always been true of jazz's finest improvisers, Zeitlin constantly stretches the creative envelope, measuring himself only against the infinite demands of his music."
Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
"…Zeitlin delivered a riveting solo performance."
George Goodman, New York Times
"In supreme command of the keyboard…he employs striking dissonances, he constructs extraordinary edifices of harmonics, he can be marvelously pianistic, with a velvet subtlety of touch. He is an original…Denny Zeitlin stretches jazz piano beyond any hitherto defined limits."
Don Freeman, San Diego Union
"…He didn't show his brilliance through his technique (which he has), but through subtle improvisation, advanced and finely-tuned harmonic development, and a stupendous internal sense of meter…Denny Zeitlin's solo piano was the unpretentious highpoint of the festival."
Munchner Merkur (Munich)
TRIO (reviews of latest CD with Buster Williams & Matt Wilson):
"There is almost no one musician playing today who can deconstruct a standard and then put it back together again like Denny Zeitlin. On his breathtaking album, Stairway to the Stars he does just that… Mr. Zeitlin literally owns the piano and commands it to do his bidding when he sits down to play… He is almost without parallel in jazz and the equal of any musician in the classical realm as well… The recording is worthy of being judged to be a masterpiece… His pianism is echoed by the brilliance, of course, of bassist Buster Williams and the percussion colouring of drummer Matt Wilson… "
Raul da Gama, Jazzdagama
"5 Stars [highest rating]… A studio release of this magnitude would be a great album. Stairway To The Stars as a live release is catching lightning in a bottle!"
Brent Black, Criticaljazz
"… like all of Denny's albums, it's an adventure… Denny turns standards inside out without abandoning their spirit. Songs start with a familiar reference point, with Denny then layering the melody with gorgeous chord changes. Then he takes us off on an improvisational voyage deep inside the song, giving you insight into what makes it special and what holds it together… let go and feel the tidal pull of his approach and enjoy his scuba exploration of music, where the notes dart around like tropical fish. This album is worthwhile for Oleo alone. Trust me, no matter how well you know Sonny Rollins's standard, you don't know it like this."
Marc Myers, Jazzwax
"… These three are formidable together… What sets the Zeitlin-Williams-Wilson trio apart is its openness and ardor: They approach this material as if it's never been played before, deconstructing the melodies and rebuilding them in their own image. Zeitlin, who had already been playing professionally for three-and-a half decades at this point, favors a sensitive, inquisitive touch on ballads with which Williams and Wilson naturally empathize. They're clearly in love with each other's playing."
Jeff Tamarkin, JazzTimes
"… The evening's set is mostly ballads, except for a crisply bopping take of Oleo that takes you for a white knuckler of a ride … This disc is one for the ages."
George Harris, Jazzweekly
"… [the trio displays] a spirit of fun, adventure and devil-may-care panache. ..Few pianists working today have his command of harmonic depth, his "just right" and sometimes daring touch with a melody… always supple touch and endless inventiveness… A beautiful set … ."
Dan McClenaghan, Allaboutjazz
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