Break

My son, Marc, a longtime resident alto sax player in Seattle, has told me on many an occasion that Dawn Clement is the real deal: an incessantly swinging bop pianist with chops galore and a beautiful sense of intimacy and feeling when it comes to ballads. Just catch how joyously creative she is on Jerome Kern's "I've Told Every Little Star." She'll get your attention! A couple of Clement's Seattle colleagues are nicely represented here with Julian Priester's airy waltz, "First Nature" and Denny Goodhew's minor quasi-blues, "Distant Oasis." Clement is one of those pianists who likes to offer up a vocal now and then, and she handles the assignment with class on a diverse threesome: "Just One More For You," a lesser known Jobim tune; a welcome surprise on the old chestnet "Dream A Little Dream Of Me," and the pairing of "All Of Me" with a tender sentiment called "on Love That Will Not Let Me Go." Among other pleasures provided by Clement's piano, Dean Johnson's bass and Matt Wilson's drums are "Sweet And Lovely"; a couple additional of the pianist's originals, "2-Day" and "Singing Hands," and a delicate closer by Ellington, "Heaven." Marc was right. Dawn Clement is the real deal.