by Scott YanowA masterful West Coast jazz pianist who has lived in Berlin since 1977, Walter Norris made a rare visit back to the U.S. in 1992, recording this excellent trio set with bassist Putter Smith and drummer Larance Marable. The well-rounded program includes five older pieces (including such rarely played numbers as Lester Young's "Blue Lester" and Teddy Wilson's "Sunny Morning"), three Norris originals, and trumpeter Steve Huffsteter's "4 Miles." Norris' playing and chord voicings are quite original (he continued to evolve while overseas) and his post-bop solos are consistently colorful and unpredictable. This CD offers a fine example of his work.