“A treasured longtime figure on the New York jazz scene, pianist John Chin is a prolific composer and heavy-duty improviser who pulls real magic out of his eclectic bag of jazz, pop and Western classical traditions. With a deft, light touch, Chin goes from speedy, Tatum-esque runs up and down the keyboard (amazing independence of both hands) on a variety of boppy standards to bruisingly intimate reflections that poke at the harmonic, melodic and contrapuntal possibilities of his chosen repertoire. Working within the confines of a trad jazz trio (acoustic piano, stand-up bass and drums) seems to open wide vistas for the Juilliard-trained, Kenny Barron–mentored Chin. He’s full of surprises in his seemingly organic ability to veer from the bluesy roots of the jazz-canon playbook to full-on hypermodern abstraction, transcending the dusty clichés of both.” -LA WEEKLY