JAZZTIMES, Doug Ramsey: Zeitlin’s first trio record in years recalls the excitement the pianist generated in his debut on Jeremy Steig’s Flute Fever in 1963, and on the subsequent series of his own Columbia LPs. His technique was dazzling from the beginning. At 24, he could swing hard, as his work on “Oleo” on Steig’s album made thrillingly clear, and he had a rich harmonic imagination. This CD fulfills all the promise of those early efforts…his harmonic depth, command of time and finely honed sense of proportion and drama in building a solo…his brilliance and the interaction he achieves with bassist Buster Williams and drummer Al Foster make it a fully realized trio recording…the new CD abounds with examples of Zeitlin’s mastery.”

DOWNBEAT, pianist Brad Mehldau, Blindfold Test: “That got me off most of anything you’ve played. [pianist Brad Mehldau is responding to Zeitlin’s “Cousin Mary” after hearing a number of selections from other artists’ albums.] The bass and drums feel like Buster Williams and Ben Riley. The drummer has that great tipping feel. I love the pianist. I never hear any vocabulary. The arrangement is great. At a certain point he gets away from what the roots should be, and is making up different forms of the blues. You can hear a lot of the history of piano styles in his playing… 5 stars [highest rating]”

LOS ANGELES TIMES, Don Heckman: “A solid collection of classy, straight-ahead jazz improvisation. Performing in this context, Zeitlin delivers with a far brawnier, more hard-swinging approach than was generally the case in his more pensive performances with bassist David Friesen. Williams seems especially compatible with Zeitlin, sometimes moving in tandem with him, sometimes ranging off into contrapuntal interaction. The results are always rewarding, sometimes much more than that.”

JAZZIZ, Neil Tesser: “Zeitlin’s a tall man with long fingers, and he has a sparkling, effervescent technique…Zeitlin’s flights of virtuosity wait in reserve…and so are all the more startling when they emerge to underscore the emotions under investigation. On such tracks as the title tune or “I’m All Smiles”, familiar melodies and relaxed rhythms launch solos of discursive logic and dream imagery. But even on an up-tempo workout like Coltrane’s “Cousin Mary”, Zeitlin refuses to settle for easy riffing. He digs as deeply into a tune as any pianist now working, and more so than most. He really sounds like no one else.”

KEYBOARD, Anthony Commiso:“A great set of standards and pungent originals…fascinating collages of sounds. The title track is a true gem that displays Zeitlin’s eclectic style.”