JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
Rating: 
Most of life’s surprises tend to not be all that great, but A Little Night Waltz is a definite exception.
Before A Little Night Waltz, I had never heard of pianist G. F. Mlely. My loss. The guy swings like mad, has impeccable phrasing and technique, and doesn’t really sound like anyone else. He tends to favor single note runs in the upper range of the keyboard during his improvisations, but what he plays is anything but predictable. He’ll move between 8th notes, 8th note triplets, 16th notes, 16th note triplets and so on, and make it sound natural and easy. He’ll also mix in wide intervals, trills, an occasional tone cluster, and arpeggios, just to keep things interesting.
The other two members of the trio are hardly slackers either. Bassist Bill Markus and drummer Gene Stone offer surefooted support. They may not be as creative as the leader, but these guys are solid, and since it’s really G. F. Mlely’s show, that’s okay.
Mlely’s compositions use mainstream jazz harmony, but they tend to be rather busy, which makes them a challenge to solo over. To his credit, Mlely seems to make it a rule that he and his bandmates solo over the form of the tune instead of a vamp.
If there’s a flaw to A Little Night Waltz, it’s that Mlely’s compositions tend to have such a characteristic shape, that they tend to run together in the mind a little.
Still, this kind of crisp and inventive playing is not exactly commonplace. A Little Night Waltz is very good mainstream jazz, and worth seeking out.