Mainstream post-bop piano is as crowded a field as you'll find in contemporary jazz, and even the best players struggle to break out from the pack. Fortunately, Justin Kauflin has a few solid-gold supporters whose names are dropped as soon as his own is mentioned. The first is Clark Terry, the great trumpeter, who mentored Kauflin and appeared with him in the film Keep on Keeping On. The second is Quincy Jones, another Terry protege of whom you may have heard, who produces here. Dedicated to the pianist's formative influences, including the aforementioned, Kauflin's likeable second album reveals a talented, melodically strong pianist and composer with an admiration for everyone from Art Tatum to Mulgrew Miller to Pat Metheny. justinkauflin.com