Billy Childs - Portrait of a Player (1993)

Although relatively underpublicized, Billy Childs is gradually becoming one of the giants of jazz, both as a writer and as a pianist. Two of his compositions (including "Flanagan," a tribute to Tommy Flanagan) are included in this set's repertoire, but the emphasis on this trio date is very much on Childs' skills as a pianist. With bassist Tony Dumas and drummer Billy Kilson, Childs explores a variety of high-quality material, including John Coltrane's "Satellite," Ivan Lins' "The Island," Cedar Walton's "Bolivia," and Bill Evans' "34 Skidoo." Most impressive is the fact that Billy Childs does not sound like anyone else.