Search - Bob Acri :: Bob Acri

Lovingly crafted, beautifully played

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 01/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At the ripe young age of 85, Bob Acri has made a disc of stunning beauty. No, it won't blow you away on account of its fierce virtuosity or originality; it works its magic in much subtler, and much more difficult fashion: through the assimilation of a lifetime of musical understanding perfectly, though almost casually, rendered.



Probably the average jazz fan has never heard of Bob Acri. A man with an extensive and impressive resume including work in some of the great ensembles of the past century, Acri has acquired not only a vast knowledge of 20th century jazz styles, but also the ability to present them with a freshness and authority seldom encountered. That he can make music that is by all accounts old fashioned sound so vital and even innovative is nothing short of remarkable. Blessed with a gloriously deft and light touch on the piano, as well as consummate taste, with his all-star band (George Mraz, bass; Lew Soloff, trumpet; Frank Wess, winds; Ed Thigpen, drums; with Diane Delin sitting in on violin for three cuts) he lovingly crafts each piece into a thing of shear beauty.



Very highly recommended."