Dedication

Young pianist Justin Kauflin has won a variety of awards and been taken under the wing of executive producer Quincy Jones and mentor Clark Terry, as well as many others. Here on his second album, he honors those friends and teachers as he leads either a trio or a quartet through a set of modern postbop originals that will resonate for fans of Mulgrew Miller’s attack and Brad Mehldau’s sense of drama and romance. Keep an ear out for the driving “Tempest,” the soulful “For Clark,” and the gospel of closer “Thank You Lord,” but the solo format of “Mother’s Song” is a nice touch as well.