The Mozart Sessions

Bobby McFerrin's signature falsetto envelops a poignant, wordless melody, embellished by piano flourishes that uncomfortably tow the line between classical decorum and Chick Corea's airy, modal jazz style. Suddenly the music segues into the opening of Mozart's D Minor Concerto. The A Major Concerto (K. 488) is similarly introduced.

While the smooth, thick orchestral fabric suggests forces larger than a chamber aggregation, McFerrin clarifies important woodwind details (the elusive bassoon, for instance, in K. 488's slow movement) and infuses the outer movements with controlled brio. By contrast, Corea's Latin-tinged, improvised cadenzas (and overeager embellishments during solos and tuttis) lose their novelty over repeated hearings.

Elsewhere, Corea's literal, dutiful phrasing smacks more of a talented student than a daring and vibrant pianist whose impact on jazz is unassailable. --Jed Distler