This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
New York pianist Peggy Stern prefers things small and simple — “I don’t want flashy,” she says in the bio for her third CD.
She’s true to her word; in these 11 compositions for piano and horns, Stern sneaks up on you, playing under the band, slightly behind the beat and quietly pushing the melody along with uncluttered chording and note runs that are elegant as strings of pearls. The band, including Bernard (Pretty) Purdie on drums, follows her lead, turning in crisp, less-is-more performances that are heavy on texture and style and light on overblown solos. Proof that good things do come in small packages.
