Lovely but never insipid, pianist Vardan Ovsepian and multi-lingual (and sometimes purely sonic) vocalist Tatiana Parra make music that slips between categories. The echo of Brazilian melody doesn’t make Lighthouse a samba recording, and if Ovsepian’s cool touch on the keyboard might have been appreciated by Dave Brubeck, he can’t be stamped as jazz. With classical training evident and worn lightly, Lighthouse might fall closer to Keith Jarrett—without really sounding like Jarrett. Lighthouse is a rare delight that must be heard and appreciated on its own merits.
