Solo

Press Quotes

“The aptly titled disc is a moving, lyrical collection of unaccompanied originals, Brazil-based tunes and such jazz standards as Monk’s ‘’Round Midnight’ (a tango-tinged interpretation) and George Gershwin’s classic ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ (performed with straight-up sincerity). Instead of crafting an album teeming with rousing leaps, Camilo eases into a low-lit mood with quiet reflections, dreamy musings and heartfelt romancing. A highlight is Antonio Carlos Jobim's ‘Luiza,’ rendered as a gorgeous love song with tenderly tumbling runs."
Billboard

“Camilo's stark new album, ''Solo," is so good it almost makes us forget that the lite-jazz combo Manhattan Transfer had a huge hit with his song ''Why Not?" Well, almost.”
The Boston Globe

“Camilo spent a long time planning his first solo piano album, and it’s easy to see why. There’s an exquisite sense of symmetry to be found in this collection of 12 tunes that’s one third pure Brazilian velvet, one third pungent jazz standards and one third Camilo originals that pay tribute to his Caribbean roots. An inventive improviser, the Dominican-born pianist turns a guajira upside down on the moody "Reflections" and reinvents "’Round Midnight" as a vigorous, tango-like concoction. His playing is alternately fluttery and meditative, but peerless throughout. ****1/2 “
New York Post

“Camilo’s prowess on piano can be breathtaking. He’s able to range across the entire keyboard smoothly, constantly injecting striking ideas or surprising lines yet always make every solo flow and astonish. Not every pianist can keep things varied and interesting over an hour-long solo date, but Michel Camilo’s music is so enthralling that you actually feel disappointed when “Suntan” wraps the set.”
Nashville City Paper

“O's Notes: This is a peaceful, solo piano recording. The pace is relaxed and tones are gentle but with accents for emphasis. The music program combines jazz standards, Brazilian jazz classics and some of Camilo's own work. It is an engaging set. That will sooth the mind of the listener.”
O’s Place Jazz Newsletter

“Rich with feeling, Solo provides an excellent showcase for a brilliant musician. Without the intercession of a rhythm section, Camilo reveals quite a bit about himself in these exquisitely personal performances. With any luck, his first solo foray will lead to more of the same.”
Sun Sentinel (FL)

“Camilo returned to the stage for his solo set, which opened with a medley of tunes from his January 2005 release, ''Solo": Antonio Carlos Jobim's ''Luiza" and Francis Hime's ''Minha." Camilo's playing has a classical feel, making full use of his left hand and exhibiting phenomenal control of dynamics. Thunderous chords yielded seamlessly to exquisitely soft passages, and a stupendous end to the medley earned Camilo a standing ovation.”
The Boston Globe

“Camilo is probably ready to run home with another Grammy.  A real winner of a set that’s hard to resist.”
Midwest Record Recap

"Camilo’s virtuosity is on display not through the exhilarating pianistic pyrotechnics of his earlier recordings, but through a multiplicity of styles that summon a parade of past masters.”
DownBeat

“...[Camilo] plays beautifully.”
Jazziz

“Camilo is a mentally and physically agile musician with a worldly viewpoint and cosmopolitan appeal. Whether he's playing with bouncy rhythms or reaching deep into his soul for some angst to share on his keyboard, his abilities as a musical interpreter are stunning.”
The Providence Journal

“[Camilo]’s still a rhythmic hell-raiser—as evident on his enchanting ‘Reflections,' in which he connects Cuban song forms with Crescent City blues. He embellishes Thelonious Monk’s classic ‘Round Midnight’ with dancing rhythms, rhapsodic sweeps and vigorous runs. And he closes Solo in typical exhilarating fashion with ‘Suntan,’ one of his more famous Latin-based compositions, which evolves from a quiet melodic swoon to knuckle-bleeding glory.”
Washington Post Express

"The ethereal, free-flowing tunes demonstrate the Dominican Republic-born pianist's technical superiority,..."
Chigago Sun-Times

“Dominican-born keyboardist Michel Camilo splits his rewarding Solo (Telarc) session into chapters focused on Brazilian gems, jazz standards and lovely originals.”
Portsmouth (NH) Herald News

“The jazz world can enjoy a wonderful surprise with the release of Grammy winner Michel Camilo's first solo piano album.”
The Albuquerque Tribune

“…deeply felt and exquisitely played…”
JazzTimes

“ The elegant Solo captures the Santo Domingo-born Camilo exploring original tunes, jazz standards like ‘Round Midnight’ and ‘Our Love Is Here to Stay” and Brazilian classics penned by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Francis Hime.”
ICE

" Four stars. 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…he plays beautifully throughout. ”
All Music Guide

“ Solo, a diverse blend of originals and standards, bears Camilo’s
unmistakable stamp and is a welcome addition to his already impressive oeuvre.”
All About Jazz – NY

“… it is the overall song selection and quiet production values that will entice the listener to add Solo to their solo jazz piano collection since many of these songs are rarely played in a solo context. Great technique and even greater sense of pianistic grace.”
SoundOfTimelessJazz.com

“ Warm, inviting, and direct — free of any overdubs — Solo is a must-have for fans, and a beautiful introduction to Camilo’s distinctive gifts for others.”
AllAboutJazz.com

“ There is such joy, such exuberance in this pianist’s music that it always leaves his listeners with smiles on their faces. Four hot peppers.”
Lake Champlain Weekly (NY)

“ Solo is the perfect collection for the jazz listener wanting to hear some incredibly fine jazz performances by a master of jazz piano. Highly recommended.”
JazzReview.com

“ As hyperkinetic, extroverted and fortissimo his previous offering was, Solo is a complete contrast: reflective, haunting and seductively romantic…I honestly didn't think a musician as flamboyant and intense as Mr. Camilo could come up with such a sensitive disc, and make it work. This is the surprise of the new year!”
Jazz Weekly

“ An album for connoisseurs of the piano and one which may be used by budding pianists as a role model to learn how to deliver Solo, it reminds me of an analogy by a film critic on how the mediocre actors play the part, but the great actors ‘live the role’. Michel Camilo lives his role.”
EuroClubdeJazz.com

“ If any American composer ever tailored standards to fit the
needs of a solo pianist, it was George Gershwin, himself a
piano player with robust chops. No doubt Gershwin would say
Camilo's renditions of "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and
" Someone To Watch Over Me" are too marvelous for words.”
The Hartford Courant

“ You won’t see him on TRL (though you might have seen him in the acclaimed music documentary Calle 54), but this Dominican master pianist’s first solo album, Solo, is well worth a meander off the beaten top-40 path. Camilo pairs Latin jazz with classic standards, making for a subtly sexy accompaniment to your next candlelit dinner.”
Marie Claire Magazine

“ The true beauty of Solo lies in the reiterations of balance across each track. ‘Atras Da Porta’ seems to pivot on the space between jazz standards, Brazilian music, and Camilo’s own musical creations. The absolutely deft and dexterous intersection of these three musical universes stands as a testament to Camilo’s vision.”
John Shelton Ivany Top 21