Sony Masterworks

John Medeski is best known as one third of progressive jazz trio Medeski Martin and Wood. Progressive, that is, because they never dwell on sounds or styles that have been explored too deeply, opting instead for the road less – or even never – traveled. You won’t hear any of that funky experimentation on Medeski’s appropriately titled debut solo album, A Different Time, which finds the virtuoso ditching his Hammond B3 in favor of a 1924 Gaveau piano. The instrument’s age shines through in every piece and imbues the songs with a kind of brittleness, as if a single missed note might shatter the compositions. From the gentle take on Willie Nelson’s “I’m Falling in Love Again” to the reverberating dissonance of “Lacrima,” the album plays out like an adult lullaby. It’s music for the transition phase, when the day’s restlessness has given way to contemplation and the mind prepares for slumber.