Out the Aquarium

Album Review

The solo debut album from Alexandra Caselli, a mainstay of the L.A. jazz scene and a member of Jennifer York's quartet. The works chosen here are a nice mix of old and new, with selections from the basic American songbook and new compositions from Caselli herself. Regardless of the song however, her playing is exceptional. Moods are evoked effortlessly and solos taken surprisingly well, especially given the relative unknown status of Caselli. The backing band performs ably, filling out the trio with a couple rotations of drum and bass. The star, however, remains Caselli. Her touch moves from a Keith Jarrett sound to almost a Bill Evans sound (though not quite) to something entirely her own (perhaps even a bit of church music influence?). This one is going to be flying under the radar certainly, but it's worth digging up for a listen.