''Sunshower'' is an album by pianist Larry Willis, released in 2001 by Mapleshade Records. On the album, Willis is joined by cellist Kash Killion, bassist

Steve Novosel Steven (Steve) Novosel (born 1940) is an American professional jazz bassist and educator whose 40-plus year career has spanned numerous genre, from traditional jazz to swing, bebop, mainstream and avant garde. Early life and musical development ...

, and drummers Paul Murphy and

Steve Berrios Steve Berrios (February 24, 1945 – July 25, 2013) was an American jazz drummer and percussionist born in New York City. Biography Starting out on trumpet while in public school, he was influenced by his father, a professional drummer, and his ...

. Track 4, Jackie McLean's "Melody for Melonae", from his album ''

Let Freedom Ring ''Let Freedom Ring'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean, recorded in 1962 and released on the Blue Note label.

'', is incorrectly titled "Little Melonae" on ''Sunshower''.

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Alex Henderson called the album "another excellent CD," and praised Killion's cello playing, writing: "Willis gives Killion plenty of room to stretch out, and that's a very good thing, because not only does Killion have a gorgeous sound, he is also an incredibly lyrical and expressive player." Henderson commented: "''Sunshower'' isn't the sort of album in which the musicians spend their time showing us how fast they can play... this post-bop CD is about expression and emotion rather than pyrotechnics... consistently thoughtful CD." The authors of the ''

Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled by ...

'' called the album "an intriguing instance of Willis's interest in extending the language of the orthodox piano trio," and stated: "the language of the session is subdued, tonally quite dark, and unhurried. All the better for that... since it allows the pianist's harmonic ideas to linger in the air and not be buried by 'technique'... this is well worth getting."

Track listing

# "Summer Serenade" ( Benny Carter) – 6:10 # "Soul Eyes" (

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

) – 10:59 # "Sunshower" ( Nacio Herb Brown/ Arthur Freed) – 6:51 # "Melody for Melonae" (mistitled as "Little Melonae") ( Jackie McLean) – 7:35 # "Horizon" (Larry Willis) – 8:54 # "Poor Eric" (Larry Willis) – 9:43 # "Wah-No-Nahné" (Larry Willis) – 9:02

Personnel

* Larry Willis – piano * Kash Killion – cello *

– bass * Paul F. Murphy – drums *

– drums

References

{{authority control 2001 albums Larry Willis albums 2000s in jazz Jazz albums by American artists