Peter Bernstein led four albums for the Swiss Criss Cross label during 1992-1997. His fourth effort has him heading a trio with organist Larry Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart. Some of the selections are very much in the soul/jazz tradition, since the Jimmy Smith influence can be heard now and then in Goldings' playing and Bernstein's main influence is Wes Montgomery. However, some of the originals are more advanced and the music still sounds pretty fresh. Among the highlights are Bernstein's ironically titled "Sublime Indifference," Goldings' tricky "The Acrobat," Hank Mobley's "The Breakthrough," and a relaxed version of "How Deep Is the Ocean." ~ Scott Yanow

On the back of the CD case is a photo that is basically a heads-up as to what you can expect from this debut album by 23-year-old jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara. She is standing outside wearing a black dress and a strange yellow-and-white wrap. Her face is turned up to the sky, her eyes and mouth closed, her jaw clenched; her arms are held straight down by her sides with her fingers splayed wide. It's a stance that bespeaks intense energy and a certain defiance. Most of the music contained in the CD seems to have been made in a similar attitude, for better and, occasionally, for worse.