Valerie Capers has managed to stay somewhat obscure despite a busy schedule and her obvious talents.

When Columbia gave her a rare opportunity to record she made the most of it.

Capers sings several of the songs (most winningly Horace Silver's "Come on Home"), but especially notable is her strong, bop-based piano playing; her trio also includes drummer Terry Clarke and either John Robinson III or Bob Cranshaw on bass.

Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis helps out on two numbers ("Odyssey" and "It's All Right With Me") and altoist Paquito D'Rivera is an asset on four (including "A Night in Tunisia"), but the main significance of this long overdue CD is that it gives Valerie Capers her chance to shine.