"The piano's keyboard offers its 88 keys to endless possibilities for technical and harmonic exploration, however two essentials exist which provide either the stumbling block or the challenge - natural talent and a solid grounding in basic technique.

"Mickey Tucker has an abundance of both. Mickey made steady progress on the classical repertoire through his school years; then some years of experience with singers honed his accompanying abilities, followed by work with rhythm 'n' blues artists which led to his learning and mastering the Hammond B3 organ, a skill which brought him a three-year gig with saxophone star James Moody, sharing the stage with vocalese innovator Eddie Jefferson.

"By the mid-'70s, he was touring Europe & Japan with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and he was recording and touring with Frank Foster's two groups; Living Color and The Loud Minority. In 1982, he was again touring extensively as part of the Benny Golson/ Art Farmer Jazztet Reunion, recording and working with the group until 1987.

"When he was awarded a grant from the USA National Endowment for the Arts, he took advantage of the opportunity and produced a major composition for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra. The track Portrait of a Peaceful Scene on this CD is a solo piano reduction/adaptation of one of the major work's movements, and clearly shows the breadth of the pianist's talent. This track is followed by another assisted by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, which enabled Tucker to write another major work, Toccata for two Pianos. Here then is a collection of ten diverse tracks, a dazzling cross-section displaying the talent of a major musician.

"I feel quite sure that you will enjoy listening to this CD much more often than ‘now and then’."
Laurie Lewis - Correspondent for Cadence Magazine, New York.