by Scott YanowA powerhouse who is equally at home with straight-ahead jazz and Afro-Cuban music, Michel Camilo has been a household name in the jazz world ever since moving to the U.S. in 1979. Surprisingly, Solo is his first recording as a piano soloist without a group. Camilo divides the dozen songs between four Brazilian numbers (including Jobim's "Corcovado"), a quartet of familiar standards and four of his originals, three of which are new. Highlights include Camilo's Oscar Peterson-style stride on "Our Love Is Here to Stay," the romantic "Reflections," a rhythmic "'Round Midnight," the haunting "Atras Da Porta," the majestic "Un Son" and a sly version of Nat King Cole's "Frim Fram Sauce." Throughout Solo, Michel Camilo utilizes a light touch and generally emphasizes ballads and quieter material. Although Solo does not quite generate the same amount of excitement as Camilo's often-classic trio dates, he plays beautifully throughout.