by Scott Yanow
A powerhouse who is equally at home with straight-ahead jazz and Afro-Cuban music, Michel Camilo has been a household name in the jazz world ever since moving to the U.S. in 1979. Surprisingly, Solo is his first recording as a piano soloist without a group. Camilo divides the dozen songs between four Brazilian numbers (including Jobim's &Corcovado&), a quartet of familiar standards and four of his originals, three of which are new. Highlights include Camilo's Oscar Peterson-style stride on &Our Love Is Here to Stay,& the romantic &Reflections,& a rhythmic &'Round Midnight,& the haunting &Atras Da Porta,& the majestic &Un Son& and a sly version of Nat King Cole's &Frim Fram Sauce.& Throughout Solo, Michel Camilo utilizes a light touch and generally emphasizes ballads and quieter material. Although Solo does not quite generate the same amount of excitement as Camilo's often-classic trio dates, he plays beautifully throughout.