Victor Feldman - Rio Nights (1987)

If one is to believe the dates given on this LP, three of the selections were recorded by keyboardist Victor Feldman just two days before his death. More likely is that those straight-ahead acoustic numbers with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Trevor Feldman were previously unreleased tunes from their 1983 date. The later tracks ("Don't Ask Oscar," "You Gave Me the Runaround" and "Basin Street Blues") are actually the high point of this album, for the other seven numbers (originally released as In My Pocket by the Coherent Sound label in 1988) are electronic, funky and rather lightweight. In the latter case, Feldman is joined by several studio musicians plus flutist Hubert Laws, and although the grooves are nice, the material is forgettable. Overall, this posthumous set is a mixed bag. -- Scott Yanow