Minga Minga

It's difficult to pull off solo piano when the genre/content is jazz/blues based, but Portland, Oregon pianist Clay is able to do that without a hitch. Songs like the opener, "Little Bird", will give your ears a clear image of just how intimate/bluesy his keyboards can be. It's all about the birth of his daughter, and will be a gift to her that will last forever. I particularly enjoyed pieces like "Burst", which isn't (at all) what the title of the song might make you think it would be. The short (3:02) "Stride Right" conveys the marching you might think of when you scope out the title, but in a most pleasant (& different) fashion. Of the eleven pieces offered up, it was the 6:07 "Astir" that easily captured my vote for personal favorite... what's so decidedly unique about Clay's work is totally evident on this compositions... blues without the "push"... laid-back, yet laden with the emotion-packed rich chords that we all crave. I give Clay a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an "EQ" (energy quotient) rating of 4.98 for this great album.