Pianist Mike McCarthy doesn’t pull any punches with Gently Sleeps, subtitling it “a calming tribute to the Beatles.” Of course, the risk there is that these solo reworkings could become so relaxing as to send us into a drowsy oblivion. McCarthy, based out of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, largely avoids that pitfallRead More

Mike McCarthy, a Phoenixville, Pennsyvania-based pianist, isn’t what he at first seems. He begins here with a series of contemplative runs, punctuated ever so briefly by these twinkling asides, recalling nothing so much as the nostalgic sweep of Vince Guaraldi You May Also Like: Matthew Shipp Trio – Piano SongRead More