Solo Piano is a very eclectic collection of sixteen pop songs, showtunes, standards, and original pieces by pianist Jim Hudak. A showcase for Hudak’s various playing styles, selections range from “When I’m 64” (The Beatles) to “I’m an Old Cowhand” to “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” to “Layla” - a dizzying assortment! While there is something for everyone, I’m not sure everyone would stay interested from beginning to end of the CD - it could be a bit too varied. An exceptionally experienced musician in all facets of the field, Jim Hudak plays at country clubs and social functions around the San Francisco Bay Area on a regular basis, and I assume that he records his most popular and most-requested pieces as well as his own favorites. The two original tracks are “Something I’d Never Seen,” an energetic piece; and “Storm Into Sunlight,” a lovely ballad that was composed when Hudak was ten years old - one of the most beautiful tracks on the CD. I’d really like to hear more of Hudak’s original work. A few other favorites are “Simple Twist of Fate” (Bob Dylan), “Lady Is a Tramp” (Rodgers & Hart), “Layla” (Eric Clapton), and “Fishin’ Blues” (Henry Thomas). For light listening of some old favorites, this is a good choice. Hudak plays most of the songs with a strong, straightforward style that serves the music well. He doesn’t use a lot of flourishes and flash, keeping the arrangements true to the original songs. Jim Hudak’s recordings are available at amazon.com and jimhudak.com.