LYLE MAYS with MARC JOHNSON and JACK DeJOHNETTE – Fictionary (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lyle Mays, who came to fame for his electric collaborations with Pat Metheny, surprised many with this superior outing in an acoustic trio setting. On the liner jacket Mays thanks Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, and Paul Bley for their inspiration. If one adds in Chick Corea and especially Bill Evans, that should give listeners an idea of what to expect. However, to his credit (and with the assistance of bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Jack Dejohnette) Mays avoids performing overly played standards and sticks mostly to originals (including two free improvisations). There is no coasting on this excellent set. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1.    Bill Evans    4:48
 Lyle Mays 
2.    Fictionary    7:10
 Lyle Mays 
3.    Sienna    6:30
 Lyle Mays 
4.    Lincoln Reviews His Notes    7:38
 Lyle Mays 
5.    Hard Eights    7:31
 Lyle Mays 
6.    Something Left Unsaid    4:52
 Lyle Mays 
7.    Trio #1    6:08
 Jack DeJohnette / Marc Johnson / Lyle Mays 
8.    Where Are You From Today    5:32
 Lyle Mays 
9.    Falling Grace    4:44
 Steve Swallow 
10.    Trio #2    5:23
 Jack DeJohnette / Marc Johnson / Lyle Mays 
11.    On The Other Hand    5:04
 Lyle Mays 
Credits :
Bass – Marc Johnson 
Drums – Jack DeJohnette
Piano – Lyle Mays

LYLE MAYS — Lyle Mays (1986) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Lyle Mays waited a long, long time before straying from the Pat Metheny Group to issue his first solo album, but when he did, the results were at once removed but not totally untethered to the Metheny sound and feeling. On his own, Mays' synthesizer solos and textures are close in sound to what he was doing in the Metheny group, but the turns of phrases in his acoustic piano solos reflect the heavy shadow of Keith Jarrett. "Highland Aire" naturally has a buoyant, wistful Scottish flavor; "Teiko" begins with a wash of synths and then offers a mechanical rhythm that is vaguely Asian in feeling; and "Slink" is the closest the album comes to the floating Metheny groove. Although the 14-minute "Alaskan Suite" forms the centerpiece of the LP's side two, the entire side could be considered a suite as a whole, with a ruminative piano solo "Mirror of the Heart" preceding "Alaskan Suite," and "Close to Home" reprising the twinkling, burbling shafts of synthesizer of "Alaskan Suite"'s opening. Bill Frisell gives Mays a different yet no less musical and enterprising guitar foil; drummer Alex Acuna and Metheny group percussionist Nana Vasconcelos are as flexible a team as Mays could want. Marc Johnson is on bass and Billy Drewes is on alto and soprano sax. A very pleasing, thoroughly musical solo debut. Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist : 
1. Highland Aire  7:02
Bagpipes [Uilleann] – Patrick Sky
2. Teiko 7:21
3. Slink 8:17
4. Mirror Of The Heart 4:58
Alaskan Suite (14:12)
5. Northern Lights
6. Invocation
7. Ascent
8. Close To Home 6:10
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Billy Drewes
Composed By, Piano, Synthesizer, Autoharp, Producer – Lyle Mays
Double Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Alejandro N, Acuña
Guitar – Bill Frisell
Percussion – Naná Vasconcelos