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Trio on CD

Pianist Joanne Grauer has been active in the Los Angeles area since the 1950s, yet this 1957 session for Mode (which is being reissued here on VSOP) was her only set as a leader until at least the 1970s. Grauer is a talented bop-based improviser, a strong player who deserves much more recognition than she has received thus far. For this trio session with bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis, Grauer explores five strong standards, the folk song "Happy Is the Sheepherder," Bill Holman's "Dancing Nitely" and her own "Mood for Mode." There is a lot of variety in tempos and moods within the bop tradition on this recommended set.