Karmic Tribute: Editorial review by Alex Henderson, All Music Guide: Sadly, it is easy for musicians to become pigeonholed. If an artist becomes known for one style of music, some marketing people will do everything they can to discourage him/her from trying anything else. But thankfully, Marilynn Seits doesn't feel the need to shackle herself to one genre 100% of the time. The pianist has done some interesting things in the new age field, but that doesn't prevent her from successfully embracing straight-ahead acoustic jazz on Karmic Tribute. The CD's title might give some people the impression that this is an album of modal or avant-garde jazz with strong Middle Eastern or Indian leanings -- something you would expect from Pharoah Sanders or Yusef Lateef. But in fact, Karmic Tribute is a collection of very inside piano jazz along the lines of Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Marian McPartland. Playing unaccompanied solo piano, Seits pays tribute to a variety of fellow pianists, who range from Evans on "Time Remembered," Jarrett on "Coral," and Chick Corea on "Tones for Joan's Bones," to Charles Mingus on "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress," Carla Bley on "Ups and Downs," and Billy Strayhorn on "Lush Life." Not everything on Karmic Tribute was written by a pianist; "Falling Grace" and "Arise Her Eyes," for example, are by bassist Steve Swallow -- someone Bley has worked with extensively. But the compositions of pianists are the main focus of this CD, illustrating Seits' ability to step outside of new age and provide introspective, pensive jazz. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide KARMIC TRIBUTE: Cool Piano Jazz KARMIC TRIBUTE is a solo jazz piano tribute by Marilynn Seits to some of her favorite composers including Keith Jarrett, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Bill Evans, Monk, Mingus and Strayhorn. Marilynn successfully combines the stylistic elements of each composer/player/arranger into their respective pieces while maintaining her own unique style of phrasing and voicing. These freshly innovative arrangements make KARMIC TRIBUTE a rich, dynamic and cohesive listening experience. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - HERE'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT KARMIC TRIBUTE "On this gorgeous solo effort, [Marilynn] communicates on a very deep level, exploring the emotional, as well as melodic and harmonic, content of composition..." Bob Weinburg, CITY LINK MIDWEST RECORD RECAP ...former member of the Chicago progressive jazz community pulls out all the stops on this solo piano tribute to the ECM and Impulse stars as well as the progressive stars from before it was a genre. Billy Strayhorn is the ringer on board, but she takes on his more challenging works and the theme holds. A solid set that comes from the heart, this piano tour de force is a solid bet for genre fans looking for a meaty set that mixes the old and new properly... JAZZIZ: INDIE CULTURE ...a solo piano tribute to Marilynn's favorite composers including Evans, Monk, Mingus and Strayhorn. Songs by Billy Strayhorn, Thelonius Monk, Charles Mingus and Bill Evans are lovingly rendered, conjuring a raft of complex emotions. So are those by Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Carla Bley and Steve Swallow, showing that Seits is rooted in the modern practitioners who followed Evans' deep psychological example, as well. Seits does honor to them all... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you love KARMIC TRIBUTE, you will probably also love VIBRATIONS with the Vibrations Jazz Ensemble, SOUNDSCAPES with Peter Ponzol and Abbey Rader and SUDDEN DEPARTURE with the Ray Oram Jazz Octet. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pianist Marilynn Seits has been playing professionally for over thirty years now and has released seven other CD's on her own CMR Records label. This piano tribute was recorded on a Bosendorfer piano with 2" analog tape, Neumann tube microphones and very little digital processing. What you hear on this CD is a virtuoso performance of several beautiful and haunting pieces, some of them not often heard. If you love piano jazz and the music of Strayhorn, Mingus and Monk, you'll love this CD!