Between The Lines

Pianist Joan Hickey delivers a CD that is more Jazz-centered with emphasis on Blues accents and the free floating pulse established long ago by the ?60's Miles Davis Quintet. ?With A Song In My Heart? and ?The Man I Love? get strong, exuberant interpretations that feature saxophonist John Wojciechowski going wild, playing a hard, burrowing tenor on ?Song? and a strong melodious soprano on ?Man.? Hickey proves herself a grand, sweeping ballad player on Joe Zawinul's ?Midnight Mood? and does Bud Powell proud on a frisky version of his piece, ?The Fruit.? Hickey's three originals, ?Hebris,? ?Francesca? and ?Contemporaneous? are all strong intricate works played with style, ?Hebris? showing a tangy Hard Bop flavor and ?Francesca? having a poignant beauty. The only possible drawbacks to this set are some tracks that seem designed to appeal to Baby Boomers, a reggae version of ?My Funny Valentine? plus rock oldies ?Bridge Over Troubled Water? and ?Black Magic Woman.? However Hickey fits a ?one drop? rhythm to ?Valentine? surprisingly well and the oldies don?t sound too bad once everybody leaves the melodies behind and solos. Altogether this is a strong, worthwhile CD.