by Ken DrydenThis solo session, recorded the same day as a trio date (Catalonian Fire) for Steeplechase, features the blind Spanish pianist in top form. Montoliu is fully in the hard bop camp, and his dazzling right hand and walking basslines give a rather strikingly different sound to standards such as "Yesterdays," "Here's That Rainy Day," and "Imagination." Another surprise is clarinetist Perry Robinson's "Margareta," a piece that Montoliu recorded on two other albums. The remaining tracks are all originals, none of which became very well-known, but all of which are quite enjoyable. Beautifully recorded in a bright-sounding studio with a first-rate piano, this CD is a great example of Tete Montoliu's abilities early in his recording career.