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Asheville, NC based pianist/composer Phil Okrend's new release, "Puzzle" is a collection of jazz/pop instrumentals that may bring to mind artists such as Steely Dan, Pat Metheny, Santana or George Winston on quieter tracks. Some tunes are buoyant and carefree and others take you deeper. Some tunes are buoyant and carefree and others take you deeper. Three of the tunes on the album, Recovery", "Down the Rabbit Hole" and "Choppy Waters" are driving jazz fusion instrumentals that were written as musical responses to the 2020-21 pandemic. You can hear both the tension and unsettledness in the music along with a sense of escape, release and hope. Phil's newest release, Puzzle is a shimmering electric guitar, keys and string driven tune that packs a punch. The album also features the guitar stylings of Okrend's son, Jordan, a gifted artist and songwriter in his own right. If life is a puzzle, then this music can be the theme to carry you along.