Bill Heller - Find The Way (2014)

Perhaps best known as keyboard player with smooth jazz super-group (the) Rippingtons, Bill Heller has released his own solo collection, the excellent ‘Find The Way’. It fuses together jazz of varying complexions through the combined talents of guest performers (and Rippingtons band-mates) Jeff Kashiwa, Rico Belled and Dave Karasony plus fine work from Eric Marienthal Ronnie Gutierrez, Joel Rosenblatt and Dave Anderson. However, that said, this is very much Heller’s album. He writes all twelve tracks, produces throughout and, with his mastery on keys, leaves listeners wondering why it has taken him so long to move center stage.

Indeed it was back in 1998 that Heller made his first Rippingtons appearance. That was for the ‘Topaz’ CD and he has been performing live with the band since March of 2001. By that time Jeff Kashiwa was already a regular member of the line-up and with ‘Find The Way’ it is Kashiwa who helps get the show on the road with tremendous sax and flute for the opening ‘Guaraldi’. This mellifluous song has an aura of the Rippingtons about it and much the same can be said of the fabulous ‘Afrikaan’ that is right up there with the best that ‘Find The Way’ has to offer.