Solitaire (2001)

"An audacious flurry of activity by Uri Caine has lifted the New York-based pianist to the upper echelons of his trade - and this brilliant solo jazz piano album is testament to both his exemplary compositions and virtuoso playing. It's broadly high-tempo post-bop, but as with most Uri Caine projects, his range of potential reference points seem limitless. Echoes of a classical heritage can be heard in the precision and complexity of his approach. These are all Caine tunes, save a lovely, twinkling rendering of Lennon and McCartney's "Blackbird" and James Von Heusen's "All the Way", revealing a singular talent often submerged in his genre pieces. Here Caine ties his understanding of describing the arc of a piece of music to a gutsy, fearsome jazz technique. Fans of contemporary jazz piano can't fail to be won over by Caine's sheer ebullience. Here, with any possible accusations of NYC PoMo winking neatly sidestepped by the format, Caine stands up to be counted and is not found wanting." (BBC)