Michel Camilo

I read in an interview he got into jazz when he heard Art Tatum - Tea for Two when he was fourteen. But it's really weird, some pieces Camilo plays I really love, and others I really can't hear them complete. There's almost nothing neutral.

The guy can do anything he likes with his hands... and I love what his bass player does... The hands are interesting to watch. His r.h. thumb occasionally reminds me of Cziffra's. And sometimes he drops his arch a bit, as I've often seen Kemal do. He can because it's convenient for him. It doens't become dysfunctional when he does it... The sound may suffer a TINY bit but because he exists in a kind of percussive jazz aesthetic it doesn't really matter. AFF