So much is written about Keith Jarrett, Vijay Iyer and Jason Moran, one tends to overlook a pianist like David Kikoski, who works constantly with his own trio and groups led by A-graders such as drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts and Roy Haynes, as well as stints with the Mingus Big Band and others. This is his ninth leader date for Criss Cross and is arguably as arresting as anything he's ever recorded and so much more than just another piano trio date. This is a highly creative session – intense in many ways, but conversely very relaxed – with serious improvisational input from all three musicians involved. Of the nine lengthy tracks, two are by ‘Tain’ (his group's sign-off blues, ‘Blutain’ and his twice-before recorded ‘Mr JJ’), six by Kikoski and the closing standard ‘Never Let Me Go’, which is a piano tour de force and in which Kikoski recalls memories of some of NYC's greatest solo pianists of the past, but with modern overtones. He explains the arrangements of his compositions in great depth in the liner notes. The interplay and constant inventiveness throughout is of the highest possible order, with the title tune in particular a challenge to everyone's ingenuity. Kikoski has some of the most harmonic sophistication in contemporary jazz. His compositions are always thought through, intelligent and his touch is impeccable. McBride is more than a modern Ray Brown, while ‘Tain’, another highly intelligent musician, is in a class of his own. Recommended to pianists, bass-players and drummers everywhere.