Turn Up the Quiet

After several excellent dates as a leader, this Geoff Keezer session comes up short by comparison. The culprits are the extremely dull, new-agey "Island Palace" and "Bibo No Aozora," which are both infused with electronic keyboards and programming as well as forgettable melodies. They are way out of place on what otherwise is an outstanding jazz CD. Fortunately, the remainder of this release is quite enjoyable. Bassist Christian McBride and saxophonist Joshua Redman join Keezer on his playful tribute to his daughter, "Precious One," and an adventuresome take of "Stompin' at the Savoy." Diana Krall adds strong vocals to "Love Dance" and a touching version of "The Nearness of You." Keezer's solo covers of "My Shining Hour" and "Lush Life" capture the essence of these familiar standards, while his solo take of "Lose My Breath" (written by the pop group My Bloody Valentine) also proves to be a captivating, melancholy ballad.