The German pianist has spent a lot of time listening to fusionists like Return to Forever, Weather Report, Pat Metheny and the Yellowjackets (as well as Chick Corea\'s acoustic groups and the acoustic pianism of Keith Jarrett). It isn\'t that Frey and sidemen Büdi Siebert (sax, flute, clarinet), Ramesh Shotham (who plays traditional South Indian percussion instruments), Christoph Haberer (drums) and Wolfgang Tiepold (cello) inundate the listener with rock or funk rhythms. Frey doesn\'t hide his affection for Weather Report, Metheny or Corea\'s Return to Forever any more than he hides his affection for Jarrett. While it\'s important to know who has influenced the acoustic pianist\'s charming, reflective compositions, one should realize that Frey is his own person and that ultimately, he sounds like no one but himself.- by Alex henderson, AMG