“Originally issued on vinyl LP as ‘There'll Be Some Changes Made’, for the CD they altered its name to ‘Empirical’, switched to a new cover photo of Byard, and excessively edited Doug Ramsey’s excellent liner notes. Muse evidently took the original title too seriously.
“Jaki Byard was an underappreciated artist throughout most of his career and he especially excelled as a solo pianist on dates such as this 1972 session for Muse. ‘There'll Be Some Changes Made’ finds the pianist in a playful mood, showing off his stride piano chops. ‘Lonely Town’, a piece written by Leonard Bernstein for Broadway, is hardly a typical jazz vehicle, but Byard makes it work, incorporating some particularly moody chords to good effect. The pianist's arrangement of ‘Besame Mucho’ is hardly a bland ballad. Following a dramatic introduction, he tackles it at a brisk tempo with a catchy vamp underneath. Among the several originals written by Byard on this CD, the somewhat exotic yet rollicking ‘Spanish Tinge No. 3’ and the easygoing ‘Tribute to Jimmy Slide’ are particularly memorable.” (Review of the 1990 CD reissue by Ken Dryden for AllMusic. See here.)
Performer: Jaki Byard (pi)
A1. There'll Be Some Changes Made
A2. Lonely Town
A3. Blues Au Gratin
A4. Excerpts From Songs Of Proverb/Toni
A5. Besame Mucho
B1. Spanish Tinge #3
B2. Journey/Night Of Departure
B3. Some Other Spring/Every Year
B4. To Bob Vatel Of Paris/Blues For Jennie
B5. Tribute To Jimmy Slide
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