Chris Searle presenta ai lettori del Morning Star l'album in solo di Mike Westbrook (1936-2026) uscito appena in tempo per il suo novantesimo compleanno, The Piano In The Room And The Blues, riportando un commento dell'affezionato Chris Biscoe: "I think he liked to see himself as ‘the piano player in the band’. He was particularly fond of setting the scene, whether it be extended introductions to trio pieces, or playing several choruses at the start of a band piece. This wouldn’t be a ‘solo’ but, as in the start of On Duke’s Birthday, a build-up and preparation for the band to enter. I don’t think I ever heard him play a solo in the middle of a piece." Da sottoscrivere in pieno è anche la conclusione di Searle: "Here Mike is alone with his keys, but there is no solitariness. Solo virtuosity, emotional depth, imaginative empathy with all humanity all ring out in a record of unique musicianship from a man whose strength of sound pealed through the second half of the 20th century in so many forms, from Blake’s minstrel and the people’s brass bandleader to a true orchestral troubadour of freedom. This album gives yet another expression of his protean genius."
