Eslabones

Leo Maslíah, who was born in Uruguay, has very impressive technique on piano. Even more noteworthy is his ability to fuse together jazz, his classical background, aspects of fusion, and some pop rhythms to form his own eccentric and very modern brand of music. The selections on this set (which includes ten of his originals) cover a wide area of styles, yet the program comes across as unified. Maslíah, who is sometimes joined by other players in the rhythm section, is in the spotlight throughout, and his playing is sometimes technically astounding (as on "Eslabones") but at other times very repetitive ("Sanromán & Panegatti Asociados" can be difficult to sit through) though always virtuosic. A bizarre version of "Eleanor Rigby" will be a high point for listeners who enjoy Maslíah's dense and unpredictable playing.